Photos: Why it took courage for these women to pose for the camera

The photograph grounds Sahy Rano, connected show astatine nan Photoville Festival successful Brooklyn, New York, done this weekend, draws its title from a Malagasay building translated successful a wall explanation arsenic meaning "someone who is not acrophobic to dive into nan water, moreover if location is simply a beardown current." The photographer wants to bring attraction to female genital schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical illness caused by a waterborne parasitic infection, whose symptoms tin beryllium stigmatizing because they lucifer symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases. From near to right: erstwhile patients Rahama Abdallah, Sylvia Razanaparana and Suzanie Yolandrie. They were photographed successful September 2024 successful nan territory of Ambanja successful Northern Madagascar. Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund hide caption

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Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund

A female named Sylvia Razanaparana, robed successful a achromatic dress atop a marine bluish shirt, faces nan camera pinch a bluish bucket atop her head. The backdrop is oversea bluish canvas dotted pinch drops of white. Her manus propped connected her hip, she stares astatine nan camera astatine a three-quarter angle, arsenic if she has thing to show, aliases say.

And she does.

She is 1 of 8 women who posed for photographer Miora Rajaonary for a task to raise consciousness of female genital schistosomiasis (FGS), a illness that, according to nan World Health Organization, afflicts an estimated 56 cardinal women and girls, chiefly successful Africa.

The waterborne infection is dispersed by parasitic worms and is recovered peculiarly successful areas pinch constricted entree to cleanable h2o and wellness care.  It is contracted done interaction pinch infected h2o successful which women activity (such arsenic atom fields), bathe and do laundry. Considered by nan United Nations arsenic 1 of nan astir neglected of tropical diseases, it tin consequence successful infertility, ectopic gestation and genital ulcers. And because its symptoms — including vaginal itchiness and discharge, bloody urine and abdominal and pelvic symptom — tin lucifer those of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), their onset tin bring suspicion, shame and dishonor connected those who statement them.

A report by nan U.N. agency UNAIDS characterizes nan illness arsenic "underdiagnosed, pinch sedate implications for women's intersexual and reproductive health." It is besides linked to a higher consequence for contracting HIV from an infected partner.

Men tin statement nan illness arsenic good but a WHO study notes that "the objective signs and complications are overmuch much prevalent successful women."

A image of Sylvia Suzanie Razanparana. When she first suffered symptoms from female genital schistosomiasis, which lucifer nan symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases, her hubby accused her of betraying him and near her. Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund hide caption

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Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund

Razanaparana contracted FGS while moving successful nan atom fields of Ambanja, successful bluish Madagascar. Her hubby accused her of betraying him because of nan STD-like symptoms and near her. Only aft suffering from nan symptoms for 4 years was she capable to beryllium seen by a doctor, visiting her colony arsenic portion of a aesculapian mission. He quickly diagnosed her, and nan deworming medicine praziquantel cured her.

Her communicative said powerfully to Rajaonary, who has included her image successful her photograph grounds Sahy Rano, presently connected show astatine nan Photoville Festival successful Brooklyn, New York. The title is simply a Malagasay building translated successful a wall explanation arsenic meaning "someone who is not acrophobic to dive into nan water, moreover if location is simply a beardown current." It besides also intends "someone is really brave," adds Rajaonary, who is herself from Madagascar. Her activity was supported by nan End Fund, a philanthropy that useful to forestall nan dispersed of neglected tropical diseases

A image of Julie Moanariziky, who had contracted female genital schistosomiasis. The photographer posed her successful beforehand of a canvas painted blue, to symbolize water, pinch achromatic dots representing nan parasitic worms that dispersed nan infection. Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund hide caption

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Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund

The title of nan project, says nan photographer, is particularly apt because immoderate of nan women, for illustration Razanaparana, activity successful nan atom fields "so they person to beryllium successful nan h2o for their livelihoods. They person nary prime but to support going back" returning to nan very waters wherever they were initially infected.

To further stress their courageousness successful breaking taboos and coming guardant to speak astir nan illness successful public, nan women portrayed deterioration accepted Malagasy look masks. Made of cosmetic paste and crushed sandalwood, they are some ornamental and utilized to protect nan skin. In adorning themselves pinch beauty masks, they are showing they are for illustration everyone else, pinch nary request to hide. "I sometimes deterioration a disguise erstwhile I americium connected vacation successful Madagascar," Rajaonary says. They are very attractive. This is simply a contented complete centuries."

A image of Asna Stina, a erstwhile FGS patient, and her mother, Edwige Rasoatiana, who is simply a wellness worker. Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund hide caption

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Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund

The effect of nan painted backdrop, prepared by Rajaonary, is that nan women look to beryllium opinionated against, aliases sitting successful nan water. The achromatic dots, she says, are symbols of nan parasites that infest section waters.

She besides group up a laundry rope across nan canvas backdrop, from which bent nan women's shirts, sheets, dresses and clothing — arsenic if nan clothing had conscionable been put up to barren aft being washed successful nan contaminated water. "This is their clothing, their laundry, what they deterioration and really they live," she said.

The colorful pails and buckets visible successful each photograph besides telephone attraction to water's inescapable beingness successful nan women's lives.

Diane Cole writes for galore publications, including The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. She is nan writer of nan memoir After Great Pain: A New Life Emerges. Her website is DianeJoyceCole.com