A helping hand

Throughout his journey, the deepest, and still lasting, impression on Du were made by the people he encountered along the way.

Du still fondly remembers a Chinese man he met in Djibouti, who sponsored him with $500 and treated him to a dinner. The man told Du he had gone through a similar adventure in Europe when he was around his age. At the time, he had no money and no income, but he managed to keep going thanks to the many kind people who helped him. Now, he wanted to pass on the kindness and love.

Du was deeply moved and decided to do the same. “The society is now plagued by negative emotions. I want to try my best to change that,” Du said.

While riding in Djibouti’s desert, Du met an Ethiopian man and his son who were walking barefoot to their home in Ethiopia. They held their shoes in their hands to avoid wearing them out in this 1,000-km journey. That night, Du shared his tiny tent with them and offered them breakfast the next day.

Du remembered Qi Lin, a Chinese friend he made while in Africa. Qi had worked in Kenya for four years before he quit his job to become a freelance photographer. Like Du, Qi was also thinking about setting off on another photographing trip to Africa.

After discussion, the two of them decided to join forces and create a photography project entitled Portraits of the Nile. Their objective was to record the lives of people living along the Nile, Africa’s longest river.

“In the regions along the Nile, even if you stay for only a short time, you can see a lot of things happening, developing and ending,” said Du. “[This project] will help people get a glimpse of life in the region and on the whole continent. The Nile represents Africa.”

In January 2016, Du and Qi met at Cairo International Airport, and set off on a walking and hitchhiking journey that would take them after nearly a month to Khartoum, capital of Sudan. This time around, their cameras were focused on a limestone quarry in Egypt and a gold mine in Sudan. Why?

“Because resources are still the cornerstone of today’s society and are the source of so many of today’s conflicts, whether it be environment, culture, urbanization or globalization. We hope our photos can capture the reality as it is, sometimes beautiful, sometimes cruel, and serve as a warning,” he said.

What was supposed to be a short trip has now turned into a long-term project, the two young men even planning a documentary film about their journey. Du’s risk-taking has paid off, and he encourages other young people to do the same and chase their dreams.

“When you decide to do something, just do it and go all in on it. People may laugh at you at first. But after you reached a certain level, they will have nothing but admiration for what you have done,” Du said. “So, just do what you want, hold firm to your dream and never lose hope.” Comments to lixiaoyu@chinafrica.cn