In 2001 he set up Ainaworld, a foundation dedicated to children’s education and to training women in communications and media. One of the things that struck me about him is his grace and humility. To gain the trust of the people he photographs, he spends time with them and the respect he has for them shines  through in his images.  He spoke of  his continuing work with children and women and how he empowers them through photography.

If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, or for more information, please email valentine.sabot@webistan.com who is based at the agency and deals with REZA’s work.

Crossroads Shantytown, Cape Town, South Africa. 1985.
Apartheid. The word still resonates like an insult in my ear. Apartheid in South Africa was a value, the foundation of a white society that was convinced of its superiority, not only over anybody that was not white, but also over the rest of the world, which had passed laws to abolish racial discrimination. In those times, Mandela, the leading figure of the resistance against apartheid, was still behind bars. Bloody confrontations between blacks and white police officers were happening daily. There was no single day without riots breaking out in shantytowns. Everything in the streets emanated from injustice. This proud little man made me think of Mandela and his fight for the recognition of his people in an apartheid-ridden country.