Category : Articles

Sub Category : Miscellaneous

The picture that I used as the cover photo to accompany this article is called "The Vulture and the Little Girl". 

If you look at the photo closely, you will see that it's a photo of a vulture waiting for a starving Sudanese girl to die. 

The photo was taken by a photographer named Kevin Carter who later won the Pulitzer for this picture. 

Unfortunately, he lived only just a few months to enjoy his supposed achievement because he later got into depression and ended up taking his own life.  

He was actually savouring his feat and being celebrated on major news channels and networks world wide after he won the Pulitzer. 

His depression started when during one interview on a radio show where someone had phoned in and asked him what happened to the child. 

Without giving it much thought, he replied, "I didn't wait to find out after I took this shot as I had a plane to catch." 
 
To which the caller replied, "I put it to you that there were two vultures on that day. One had a camera".

Kevin Carter was stumped by the unexpected blunt statement. But it was too late for him to retract his words as the damage was done. He felt very small. 

That statement made by the caller stayed with him. It echoed in his mind daily, playing on his conscience which had led to depression and finally, his ultimate suicide.

Kevin Carter could have still been alive today if he had cared enough to investigate the situation instead of thinking of what he could gain from it. If he had bothered to talk to the little girl instead of just taking the photo, he would have learned her story.

And her story? She was trying to look for some food to feed her starvation. 

Had he cared enough to ask, he would have known that and could have easily picked her up and taken her to the United Nations Feeding Center. But he didn't think that far. He was only concerned about himself. 

Let's take something from this.