1. Craig F. Walker / Boston Globe Alexis Smith is the mother of Ameen Lacy, who was shot in Boston, MA. When three teenagers were shot outside a Mission Hill community center in December, their family members’ fear was compounded by their confusion, as they rushed to get to the victims’ bedside. The teens were taken to different hospitals, where doctors scrambled to save their lives. But two of the young men, including 17-year-old Lacy died. “I don’t know exactly what happened,’’ said his still-grieving mother. “I don’t know who is supposed to reach out to a parent whose son gets murdered.” Smith is among Boston’s walking wounded — mostly black and brown mothers, friends, and witnesses left traumatized in sections of the city rattled by episodic gun violence. Their grief is often hard to detect or see. And efforts to assist them do not seem enough.
2. Keiko Hiromi / Polaris June 24, 2018, Church of God, Paynesville, Montserrado County, Liberia :Jerilyne Kollie getting married Emmet Wilson, NGO worker at Church of God in Paynesville, Montserrado County. Liberia was one of the leading nations in Africa before suffering an over decade long civil wars. Recovering from a recent Ebola outbreak, Liberia is one of the poorest country in the world. Yet Jerilyne Kollie and her husband Emmet Wilson feel hopeful for their country and look to build better environment for their children and family.
3. Suzanne Kreiter / Boston Globe Boston Marathon Bombing survivor Jessica Kensky, lost both legs in the blast. Her resuce dog, named Rescue, changed her life during the challanging years as she lost one leg and then the other. She has written a children’s book “Rescue & Jessica” based on her experiences with losing her legs.
HM 1. Dominic Chavez / Freelance (Kakuma Refugees, story details) The Kakuma camp in Kenya has been a safe-haven for refugees since 1992 following the arrival of the “Lost Boys of Sudan”. Since then it has hosted 20 million people displaced in the region. In 2018, 140,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers took shelter in Kakuma. With over 6.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Sub-Saharan Africa, Kukuma remains in the frontlines as refugees continue to flow over Kenya’s borders. Some of the camp’s residents like Debra Amour, have lived there for decades. Debra was born in the camp after family found safety coming from South Sudan over 23 years ago. The environment is a semi-arid desert, well known for dust storms, poisonous spiders, snakes, and scorpions; and where outbreaks of malaria are common. The average daytime temperature is 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Once refugees are admitted, they are given food, water and shelter; children attend schools and receive health care. Some seek additional training to further their education and learn trades through NGOs and some take online courses as far away as United States. Unfortunately, refugees are confined to the Kakuma camp area and do not have the freedom to move about in Kenya unless they obtain Movement Pass from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Kenyan Government. They are free to leave when they decide to return to their home country assuming the risks. (Caption details) A portrait of Debra Amour, 23 years old, works as an accountant at Jesus is Lord, food shop in Kakuma Refugee Camp, in Kakuma, Kenya on February 7, 2018. Debra was born in Kakuma Camp after family found safety coming from South Sudan over 23 years ago.
HM 2. Jessica Rinaldi / Boston Globe Denise Williams lays on her bed as she texts with her landlord telling him he needs to turn the heat back on. Williams had lived in the Everett apartment for over a decade and now her landlord was trying to get her to move out so that he could tear down the three family house and build an apartment complex in its place. Property in Everett has increased in value with the new Wynn casino that is being built there, causing many low-income people to be displaced.
