Emmanuel Shamakokera, is the national director for Assist Rwanda. An organization dedicated to helping young Rwandans in difficult circumstances overcome adversity and rise above the challenges in their lives. He is described by his associates as one of the hardest working people they know, devoting most of his waking hours to the youth of Rwanda.
Still Emmanuel finds time to stay in touch with his family. Yesterday we spent the day touring goat farms in the eastern province of Rwanda, a two and a half hours drive from Kigali. Mid-afternoon, while traveling from one site to the next, Emmanuel asked if we minded a quick stop to meet his mother and favorite aunt.
Emmanuel and his mom.

Bath Time – Mom bathes two grandchildren in the company of a baby goat.

All clean!

Emmanuel’s favorite aunt.

All photographs copyright Adam Bacher. All rights reserved. Absolutely no use without prior authorization.
When your vision becomes a reality, how will you tell your story?
I’m a commercial photographer and photojournalist based in Portland, Oregon, since 1991. I specialize in commercial location photography for businesses. The majority of this work is for architectural, corporate, editorial, and public relations clients, and appears in a variety of print and electronic media. You can view samples online at: www.adambacher.com.
Since 2007 I’ve been taking a month each year to devote my time towards humanitarian missions.
Three trips have taken me to Rwanda, for a project documenting the countries recovery from the genocide in 1994, which claimed the lives of one-million people in the course of 100 days. Images and stories from the places I visited are featured on my blog site at: www.bachersblog.com.
This November, I’m going to Haiti for 4 weeks, to help two non-profits working tirelessly to save and rebuild lives following the earthquake in 2010. As well as donating my still and video images, I plan to create a traveling print exhibit, and a multi-media educational presentation to build awareness and remind us of Haiti's needs. If you’re interested in project please see this link: http://igg.me/p/44329?a=249927&i=shlk
My commercial work makes this humanitarian effort possible. I exhibit and speak nationally, offering a provocative visual and journalistic insight into contemporary Rwanda and the recovery, reconciliation, and reconstruction of the of the country. This message of hope, peace, and diversity, has been enthusiastically received at peace conferences, corporate gatherings, and in public schools.
Specialties
All aspects of location photography including: Architectural, Corporate, Editorial, People, Public Relations, Travel and Photojournalism.
.
All the photos in this series are beautiful and compelling. Seeing the young children w/ almost swollen bellies makes me wonder if that is due to malnutrition alone or if they also have intestinal parasites. Hope they can get treated for the parasites if that is part of the problem, because it would give them a much better quality of life as well as being a part of the overall solution to malnutrition.
Hi Adam — Is everyone there so beautiful, or are you just a great photographer? Terrific stories, too. I’ve passed the site info along to a friend who teaches African studies at UO. Where’s Bessie?