The birthplace of humanity… I spent one year living in Zambia, Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer working with the Department of Fisheries on fish farming projects in rural villages. My host family presented me with a goat to slaughter when I arrived to my mud hut as a warm welcome. We feasted together, we prayed together, we farmed together, and life was truly beautiful.

The things I learned in the village are unlike anything that you can get from reading a book or living in an urban city. I seriously believe that the “simple life” is the goal. Farming, family, and prayer. The church is the center of the community that brings the people together. People need faith and to fear god. The families in the village were huge with up to ten children or more per household. The women would wake up early in the morning carrying firewood on their heads and babies on their backs. The children would sweep the floor and prepare the food with their brothers and sisters. The men tended the farms, built houses, churches, and taught their sons how to fish. Everybody had a role to play.

This was one of the most intense scenes that I ever photographed. At the border of Jericho, I found myself in the heat of battle. I photographed the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis with my Fujifilm X-Pro2 and 23mm f2 lens in 2017. My heart was racing, but I managed to have the courage to get the shot!