A loving and caring father

This is Sheng Lu and his youngest daughter Zhanlian who has Down’s Syndrome. Sheng Lu is a loving and caring father who takes good care of his daughter. He and his wife has three children they belong to the Tibetian minority and minorities in China are allowed to have more than one child. Sheng Lu is also very proud of his oldest daughter who got a scholarship and now studies to become a doctor.

Photo: Mikael Good

This tibetan girl was given a chance to build a better future

This photo of a little tibetan girl from Waxi village in the middle of China is one of my most famous photos and a good example that a picture is worth more than a thousand words. I met the girl on the schoolyard in december 2004 when my wife and I was on a assignment for the Swedish NGO Star of Hope. 

When I met her the living conditions for the girl were really bad. Thanks to the articles my wife wrote and the photos that I took the living conditions in the village changed radically. The local commune decided to rebuild the school, hire more teachers, build a better road and drill for a water supply close to the village. The school also received funding from Sweden, which was used to buy media equipment, school books and sports equipment. The girl and the other children in the village was given better educational opportunities and a chance to build a better future for themselves and their families.

The photo promoted the exhibition Meetings in the Middle of China which was the first photographic exhibition that was displayed at an IKEA store in Sweden. Almost 10.000 people saw the exhibition at IKEA in Jönköping. The exhibition has also been published in LIFE Force Magazine and is also a Permanent Exhibition at 591 Photography Blog.

Text and Photo: Mikael Good

Maria and Ismael outside their Caravan

Maria and Ismael belong to the roma minority in Romania. They have 12 children and many grandchildren. They live in a little house in a suburb to a larger Romanian town in the northeast part of the country. Their oldest children have since long married and moved out from the house and the youngest ones are teenagers and can take care of them self.

Maria and Ismael went to Sweden with the hope of finding a job. Even if Ismael and Maria are 53 and 61 years old they are quite fit for their age and has experience from working in factory and agriculture. But they didn’t find any work and like so many other romas they ended up as beggars on the streets of Sweden. Ismael didn't feel comfortable to beg for money from bypassers. He got a old accordion that he plays on and he also make handcrafted baskets of willow branches that he sells. He buys the branches of willow in Romania and bring them by car to Sweden.

Maria and Ismael use a small amount of the money to pay for their own expenses but they send home most of the money that they collect to their children and grandchildren in Romania. Maria and Ismaels dream is to build or buy a large house that will be the focal point for big family gatherings. A house where they can meet and socialize with their children and grandchildren.

Text and Photo: Mikael Good