Photography, like all art, is a prism through which we see ourselves, through which society is reflected, as in a mirror. A photo exhibition titled Empowering Rural Livelihoods, on display for the month of April at the Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI), depicts forty images of rural Ethiopia which enable us to glimpse into the reality of the lives and livelihoods of rural Ethiopians across all walks of life and ages.

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Images can be etched in our consciousness with powerful impacts. Most of us are familiar with the pictures of starving children and swollen bellies in Ethiopia. In my own experience, as a student during the 1985 famine, I recall being haunted by a terrible image of a dying boy staring hopelessly into the camera while flies swarmed around his big eyes. That image led me to publish a poem called Skeletons of Eyes, and greatly influenced my decision to spend a large part of my professional career on food security and poverty in Ethiopia. You probably have a similar experience at some point in your past.

This exhibition is selected from a larger set of submissions to a national amateur photo contest sponsored by the Ethiopia Strategy Support Program, a collaborative research initiative of the Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI) and the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). The objective of this program is to bridge the gap between knowledge and policy on strategic rural development issues and inform and enhance open, evidence-based, policy dialogue.

One may ask: what do art and photography have to do with economic policy research? We believe, as I am sure you do, that economics is about life, the lives that we, all of us, experience every day. We also believe that just as economic analysis tries to capture and represent dimensions of life and the pursuit of wellbeing, so too are there other equally and perhaps even more meaningful ways through which we can represent and understand this reality. Hence our decision as a research program to broaden our perspectives and embrace alternative ways to reflect on the same basic question.

And what is that basic question? I am sure we would all agree that there is no greater challenge facing Ethiopia today than that of the livelihoods and wellbeing of the sixty million Ethiopians living in the rural arena, many of whom live out their lives in destitution. International media and learned analyses would have us believe that their situation, and that of the continent, is hopeless, ..or that it is a matter of better policy, better governance, more aid dollars, better experts, more technology ..

While all of these matter, of course, they are only part of the puzzle. Fundamentally, Ethiopia’s development and transformation will have to be an outcome of the will, initiative, and empowerment of the Ethiopian people themselves. No country has transformed itself without the will of its people. Therefore, harnessing that spirit and unleashing the determination and ingenuity of individuals is the greatest asset Ethiopia has today.

Can it be done? That is for all of us to strive for, for all of us to achieve. The struggle to eradicate hunger and end poverty in our lifetimes is as much a battle over hearts as it is over minds. The images in this exhibition depict an outstanding diversity of themes and creative impressions of rural livelihoods. They speak to us of human perseverance, ingenuity, resolve, age-old wisdom, innovative spirits, and even humor. They portray a rural Ethiopia of resilience, hope, and dignity.

Powerful images remain with us, such as the young girl intently studying as she is infused with a stream of sunlight, or the jubilant high-five of the livestock traders concluding a deal, or the sheer energy of the water flowing in the cupped hands of the girl bending to drink from a modern pump. Perhaps these images will come to portray the Ethiopia we will all create. It is my sincere hope that as you enjoy these pictures, you will be mindful of the intention of the artists and find inspiration for your own endeavors.

Eleni Z. Gabre-Madhin, PhD
Program Leader
Ethiopia Strategy Support Program
March 30, 2006