WAYUÚ

In the summer of 2015, I volunteered as a fundraising campaign intern for the non-profit Aguayuda in Riohacha, Colombia. At the time, this area of Colombia had been undergoing three years of drought which disproportionately affected the indigenous Wayuú population that lived in the desert and subsisted mainly on fishing and goat herding. Aguayuda's mission was and is (now as a part of WaterAid) to provide these communities with sustainable water sources and hygiene education.

The Wayuú are said to be the only indigenous population of South America that survived the onslaught of the Spanish Conquista thanks to living in what most would consider an entirely inhospitable area. Because of this, much of their culture and traditions remain to this day. And although "western modernity" has slowly made its way into their lives—many Wayuú men and women hold jobs in the nearby cities and commute daily—for the communities much importance is still placed on activities such as their fishing, goat herding and knitting of traditional bags.

My work with Aguayuda consisted of creating fundraising videos to appeal to donors in the US and Europe. However, I also took the time to photograph and document their lives, even spending a week living with one community.