Between two worlds
In the remote Kalahari desert, an award-winning French photographer undertook a journey through time and space in the company of the "inspiring and mysterious" San.It took Anne-Marie Etienne five years to create the photos that form part of the beautiful book Between Two Worlds - The San of the Kalahari, which she will personally launch next month in Namibia.
Anne-Marie, a trained engineer and associate professor of mathematics who describes southern Africa as her "favorite playground", collaborated with the N/a'an ku sê Foundation for the compilation of the book.
Part of the proceeds from the book will be used for the benefit of Namibia's San communities and through the N/a'an ku say Lifeline clinic. The clinic was established in 2003 and provides free health care and support to poor San communities in the Omaheke region.
The support includes treatment, with more than 4 000 San being treated here annually. Weekly outreach sessions also ensure that medicines are delivered to remote communities that do not have access to the clinic. A fortnightly feeding program also provides free meals to around 120 San residents per session, while malnutrition is treated on a daily basis. The test for and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) forms an important part of the clinic's services.
Anne-Marie, who is retired and shares her love of photography with her husband, tells on her website that the discovery of the unspoiled landscapes of Namibia, the extraordinary wildlife that has adapted to extreme conditions, as well as the country's special people, have forever her view of the world changed.
She says: "In the middle of the dunes of NamibRand, I experienced a kind of awakening, a light and intense emotion that is renewed with every trip." – [email protected]