Blind Lepers' Sorcery

Daily Life, third prize stories

15-02-2005

The chief of a lepers' community in eastern Liberia. Liberia's long-running civil war and subsequent political turmoil finally gave way to elections and relative stability in 2005. In the aftermath of the conflict, disabled people comprised some 16 percent of the population. There are an estimated 77,000 blind people, many of whom have lost their sight as a consequence of malnutrition, or through conditions that might easily not have led to blindness if tackled in time. Local attitudes are changing from the traditional perception of blindness being seen as the result of sorcery.

Commissioned by: Lidové Noviny

Location: Monrovia, Liberia

Photo Credit: Micheal Novotny

Micheal Novotny (born 1973) is based in Prague, Czech Republic and his career began at the age of eighteen when he hitchhiked to the war zone in the former Yugoslavia. Since this time he has covered major international events and feature stories in more than sixty countries.

He has received many national and international awards in several competitions including World Press Photo. Best of Photojournalism and Czech Press Photo. He regularly works on assignments for major international newspapers and magazines. His work has been published in The New York Times, GEO, Time, Stern, DAYS JAPAN, The Atlantic, The Sunday Magazine, Focus, L’Expres. L’Equipe. The Wall Street Journal and El Mundo magazines among others.