Andong, Three Years After Sambok Chap
On June 6, 2006, Sambok Chap, a slum in Phnom Penh, was cleared by police. More than 1,200 families who had legal “rights” to their land were moved to an empty field 24km from the city center without jobs, clean water, a school, or any public services. That’s how Andong Village began. Today the people in Andong are still struggling to find a way, or just to keep roofs over their heads. A huge challenge is the lack of nearby jobs. The cost of commuting to the city is more than a laborer can earn in a day. Many families put their children to work; girls may be tempted into prostitution; and some become conditioned to handouts from organizations. One sign of hope is a local pastor with a non-profit who has worked hand in hand with villagers to build and repair hundreds of shanty homes and to start a school for the village children.

Wat Opot Children’s Community
Wat Opot Children’s Community started out as a hospice for people dying of AIDS. From 2001-2006, the director, Wayne Matthysse, and his staff cared for more than 400 people before they died. By the end of 2006, they were able to treat patients with life saving ARV drugs, but the staff found themselves caring for a number of children whose parents had already been lost.  Then Wat Opot transitioned into a community of survivors caring for children orphaned by AIDS. Many of the children and most of the staff are living with HIV. Everyone at Wat Opot is deeply familiar with suffering and death. They face huge challenges, but they also know a kind of happiness that comes from appreciating one day at a time.

Singles, Japan
I’ve lived in Japan for eight years, and it was during this time that I renewed and expanded my interest in photography. Initially, photography was a way to connect, if only for a moment, with others in this enigmatic culture.