FROM DUSK TILL DAWN

In the scorching silence of Uganda, Lake Katwe glistens, capturing the light and shadows of a community shaped by hardship. Nestled in the Rift Valley, this volcanic land breathes through its salt mines, where each crystal is a story, a sacrifice. Here, in this arena of labour, the destiny of entire families unfolds. Salt is not just a resource; it is the very soul of Katwe, a substance that both sustains and harms.

Daily life in this community is marked by sacrifices and forced choices. Children, at an age when their innocence should still be intact, trade school for the mines, joining their parents in an unyielding struggle against poverty. In these polluted waters, they immerse themselves without protection, their hands and bodies exposed to corrosive substances that scar their flesh and threaten their future. Ammonia, brine, and toxic gases permeate their lives, turning each working day into both a physical and moral trial.

Through her lens, Claudia Revidat seeks to capture the imprint of this harsh reality, bodies that deteriorate as rapidly as their hopes. These children, often too young to fully comprehend the dangers, bear a burden far beyond their years. They venture into the lake, seeking blocks of salt, their courage overriding fear, their resolve defying the hostility of their environment.

Yet, even in this unforgiving world, glimmers of hope endure. Claudia Revidat captures the bonds between community members, forged through solidarity and resilience. An unbreakable fraternity, cemented by shared suffering, illuminates the lives of those who participate in it. The moments when they support one another reveal the very essence of humanity, a collective strength that transcends suffering and redefines dignity.

It is this power that Claudia Revidat aspires to capture in her images, the intimacy of the daily struggle and the spark of enduring hope. Her photographs are a tribute to these souls who, in the face of extreme adversity, embody perseverance and unity. In documenting this community, she aims not only to reveal the visible effects of their labour but also to uncover the invisible threads that bind them together, threads woven from shared experiences, compassion, and love, transforming inhumane toil into a quest for survival where humanity, despite everything, finds its greatest nobility.