Photo by @amytoensing. “I have to be strong for my siblings. I am their mother and father. My stomach hurts often for the pain they feel. I just do my best to create a world in this one room where they can play and feel happy.” —Abdi, age 17 There are four million refugees in Africa and over 50 percent are children. The most vulnerable include orphans and unaccompanied minors like Abdi (center) and his siblings. When Abdi was a young teenager he and his five siblings were left alone when their mother died in a refugee camp in Kenya. For years, Abdi was their sole caretaker, “their mother and father,” in extraordinarily difficult and dangerous conditions. This photo was taken when I was working with @refugepoint in Nairobi soon after Abdi and his siblings found out they would be resettled in the United States. For me, this love is worth knowing and celebrating. I was amazed to witness it. It’s not shiny or heart fluttering—it’s difficult, beautiful, brave work. See other stories about love on @natgeo’s Proof post: Picturing Love: The Stories Behind 8 Indelible Images http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/13/picturing-love-the-stories-behind-8-indelible-images/
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