Photos for the Earth Awarded

Monday, 23 November 2009 12:04

“These images remind us that the state of our ecosystem has a profound effect on the terms and conditions on which we all dwell on this planet”, said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark when congratulating the winners of “Picture This: Caring for the Earth”, an Africa-wide photo contest.

The contest sought photo entries portraying the people of Africa as stewards and protectors of their environment. Photos submitted were expected to document people in Africa working to mitigate or prevent the effects of climate change or environmental degradation. The photo contest also aimed to help build the capacity of amateur and professional photographers, by providing them with an outlet for their creativity and prizes in the form of cameras and equipment from Olympus Corporation.

Simon Ndegwa from Kenya, Jacob Otieno from Kenya and Faiza Hajji Wozniak from Morocco received the three first prizes. The jury honored the winners’ creativity in highlighting solutions to the problems of climate change in Africa, as opposed to simply capturing their damage.

Their work will be displayed on the websites of all three sponsors and shown in at least two exhibitions in Africa and the United States. Jacob Otieno, first prize winner in the professional category, will also be eligible for a fellowship through the AFP Foundation. See the winner photos and other contributions here.

UNDP in partnership with Olympus Corporation and the Agence France-Presse Foundation launched the contest in June this year, as part of a number of awareness raising initiatives in the run up to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

Sources: UN Pulse, UNDP