Project statement
The project "Waiting for rain" ("En attendant la pluie") focuses on the green drought occuring in Lesotho. I wanted to document the environmental and social impacts of the drought. Then, I realized that the drought highlights a more general matter : the water issue in Southern Africa. Broadly speaking, I want to question the partition of ressources. That is the reason I chose to focus on Thaba Tseka district, where the dam of Katse illustrates the problem : millions cubes of water are dammed but the locals are not allowed to use it because the water is stransported to South Africa. (The Katse dam is part of a project launched in 1987 by South Africa and Lesotho. During the construction, thousands of people were displacing without satisfied compensation. A number of Western construction companies were accused of bribes and corruption - Lesotho Highlands Development Authority v. Impregilo SpA and others – English House of Lords - 2005)
My creative process is about mixing landscapes and portraits to question the relation between Men and Land. I want to focus on the feeling of timelessness. Lands end Men seem out of time. Both are waiting for the rain. As the trees, the rivers, the cows, the horses, Basotho people are stuck in their villages, in the heart of their lands, powerless.
Basotho people are living in really hard conditions. The lack of water is another difficulty that they have to deal with. Some farmers couldn't plant or didn't get nothing from their fields. Hence, they are waiting for helps or donations from NGOs. Some of the people still hope that the government will help them. But inaction and corruption of the State seem more predominant. Basotho people doesn't have any choice than waiting : waiting for rain, waiting for helps, waiting for change.
Basotho people are living in really hard conditions. The lack of water is another difficulty that they have to deal with. Some farmers couldn't plant or didn't get nothing from their fields. Hence, they are waiting for helps or donations from NGOs. Some of the people still hope that the government will help them. But inaction and corruption of the State seem more predominant. Basotho people doesn't have any choice than waiting : waiting for rain, waiting for helps, waiting for change.
