JOURNEY HOPE
OF
PHOTO ESSAY
by Courtney Gerard
As a photojournalist, my job is to capture
images that tell stories. I’m tasked with
conveying both the emotion and the spirit
of a place. Photographing the people of
Tajikistan, who are living in the shadow
of a civil war, was one of the more trying
assignments I’ve had to date.
Tajikistan is the most impoverished of the
former Soviet Bloc countries, and its people
struggle with poor infrastructure, lack of
reliable medical care, lack of access to toilets
and clean water, and food insecurity. This
is especially the case in the remote region
of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast
(GBAO) where Central Asia Institute works.
Even though their basic human needs
remain unmet, the people who reside in
GBAO’s small, rural villages and bustling
towns seem to maintain a pervasive sense of
optimism for what the future holds. Whole
generations are fueled by the dream of a
more prosperous life, and hope illuminates
the faces and landscapes in a way that every
photographer dreams of. Capturing the faith
and fortitude of this lesser-known country
was nothing short of a privilege.
Most schools in rural Gorno-Badakhshan
Autonomous Oblast were built before
the late 1980s during the Soviet Era.
Made largely of timber, mud, and cement
more than three decades ago, their thick
walls are now crumbling and growing
mold, posing both physical and health
hazards to the young students.
FALL 2019
JOURNEY OF HOPE | 9