Recently I was in Chad, documenting the work of an NGO that provides food and education for impoverished areas during difficult times. While there, I had the opportunity to talk with and photograph a number of women working to provide for their families. Many of the younger girls were charged with the responsibility of finding fresh water each day — sometimes walking for miles just to find a well or stream. The below photos provide a small glimpse of everyday life for these hard-working Chadians.
A woman removes the seeds from the pods of legumes grown in her field in southern Chad.
A woman pauses to relax for a minute before continuing her work shelling legumes under a thatch covering, in a village outside Moundou, Southern Chad.
This young girl spends much of her day fetching water for her family. Many times, the responsibility of maintaining the family’s water supply falls on daughters.
A young girl waits on her mother, who is delivering items for sale in the city of Ndjamena, Chad.
Three women work the rice fields in 110-degree heat. The fields are irrigated by a system of pumps that bring water in from a nearby river.
A family makes the daily trek to the village market, where they hope to sell vegetables they’ve grown.
A woman pauses before continuing her journey for water in the arid plains of southern Chad.
A Chadian woman and her two daughters carry heavy loads as part of their daily responsibilities.
Mother and son returning from a day’s work, selling their produce at the village market.
