Proud Father, Outskirts of Kisumu, Kenya, 2007

After we finished photographing a school, I was taken to this man's house where he and his son were present. It was a small, mud structure in which a full family slept. The house consisted of one room, and all slept on the floor.

His son had just been accepted into high school and held the letter of acceptance in his hands with such pride. The moment was bittersweet however, because the family was unable to afford the books and uniform needed. The heartbreak was clearly visible on both of their faces, and in their mannerisms.

For most of us this is unimaginable, yet for so many this is the reality. Education is anything but given, and is usually a luxury. This is what makes our work with Nirvana Bodhisattva and his team so important, for Nirvanavan Foundation promotes education above all else.

My hope is that his son did attend higher education however, and that the family is now in a better place.