A Place To Call Home
10 images Created 21 Jan 2015
Among the long-term residents of Naung Kan leprosy colony, their stories were remarkably similar.
After contracting leprosy, many were forced to leave their mountain villages in the heartland of the Golden Triangle. They wandered the country on their own - for several decades - until they arrived at the colony, which is run by Catholic nuns about 5 miles from Kengtung in eastern Shan State, Myanmar.
After my first visit, I was curious how the residents, who belonged to various ethnic minorities, had remained so intact after being ostracized from their communities many years ago.
I knew that dramatic photos focusing on their sometimes horrific deformities would naturally elicit pity. But they deserved more than that. These people were not helpless victims: they were survivors.
After contracting leprosy, many were forced to leave their mountain villages in the heartland of the Golden Triangle. They wandered the country on their own - for several decades - until they arrived at the colony, which is run by Catholic nuns about 5 miles from Kengtung in eastern Shan State, Myanmar.
After my first visit, I was curious how the residents, who belonged to various ethnic minorities, had remained so intact after being ostracized from their communities many years ago.
I knew that dramatic photos focusing on their sometimes horrific deformities would naturally elicit pity. But they deserved more than that. These people were not helpless victims: they were survivors.
