Genesis of Pics 4 Pills Fundraising initiative carried out by Alberto del Hoyo.
The vast Omo Valley region is home to 69 of Ethiopia's 78 tribal ethnic groups, making it the largest living anthropological museum in the world. Ethiopia is the only African country to never have been colonized, one of the poorest regions in the world with timeless warrior tribes ruled by codes of pride and tradition; authentic warriors of honor.
Eleven in the morning. Three 4x4s driven by local guides make a stop in front of Bidiro, a Mursi tribe village in the heart of the Omo Valley. A group of 8 tourists carrying cameras, or the latest version of a last generation mobile phone, descend from the vehicles. They hope to immortalize a picture of Africa that only exists in the imaginary of the western mind.
Without saying a word, the shooting happens. A human safari scene turned here into daily routine.
Knowing their irresistible appeal to the western camera lens, tribesmen have spent the whole morning working on their fantastic warrior body paintings. Sporting their finest dishes on the lip and earlobe and their eccentric galas, they are well aware of the visual impact of wearing huge horns on the head, or a bouquet of corncobs. No matter how this is unrelated to their ornamental culture.
At that moment an interesting paradox occurs, the western picture hunter is hunted by the theatricality and imagination of a clever Mursi, in search of an economic donation for each photograph he “steals” from the tourist.
This scenario of reflection is the origin of Pics 4 Pills. How can one contribute to the economic and social development of the tribes of the Omo Valley, focusing on their ethnographic richness and using photography as a driving vehicle?
The modest initiative Pics 4 Pills, carried out by Alberto del Hoyo is a platform for the photographic dissemination of the richness of the Omo Valley with two fundamental objectives:
On the one hand, fundraising through the sale of fine art photographs and his book “Mystic Valley”. 100/100 of the benefits raised are devoted to the tribes photographed, essentially in health and education centers.
The rule is that protagonists of the photographs must be the sole beneficiaries of the photographs.
At the same time, responsible photographic dissemination is necessary to: show the beauty of heterogeneity and cultural identity; what sets us apart and what unites us.
The Mystic Valley series tries to capture the uniqueness of everyday life, time lapses of ephemeral beauty, spontaneity and truthfulness.
Magic instants impregnated with the pigments of the Omo Valley.
At dusk, as the sun fades and the earth cools, the Omo River and the surrounding air get tanned with a beautiful ochre veil.
* Books on sale at any Be Tenerife properties and the web albertodelhoyo.com
