Photos reveal the details of life after the Haiti earthquake
These photos capture the moments of everyday life that we all share—caring for children, laundry washed and hung to dry, boys playing with toy cars.
February 11th, 2010 | by Jessica EricksonThe photos that emerged from Haiti in recent days—nearly a month since the earthquake—show what life has become for individuals and families now living in temporary homes, representing a tiny fraction of the nearly one million people left homeless.
In the moments and days following the earthquake, each one of the survivors set forth to perform the tasks and experience moments of everyday life that we all share—caring for children, laundry washed and hung to dry, boys playing with toy cars. Captured so beautifully in this small collection of photos, these images reveal the intimate details of each of these lives.
Photo: Liz Lucas / Oxfam America
Children can be so creative and resourceful. The ingenuity of this boy is astounding—creating a toy car from a carton, a handful of lids, and a piece of string. Just a few weeks back, my 8-year-old nephew was hard at work on a similarly constructed vehicle.
Photo: Oxfam
There is a tenderness in this portrait of a woman and children living in a camp for displaced people. The quality of light, the softness of color and warmth of their expressions invites me to make a direct connection.
Photo: Ivan Muñoz / Oxfam
The image of a clothesline is so universal and iconic—it reminds me of my own grandmother’s backyard with lines of clothes drying in the sun. This picture, in particular, is well-composed. I like how the unevenness and color of the drying clothes contrasts with the angularity and monochromatic building behind it.
Author
Jessica Erickson
Designer and visual artist Jessica Erickson has worked in communications for nearly 10 years. She’s currently senior graphic designer at Oxfam America, where she contributes to a range of print, online, and multimedia projects.
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