https://ricfrancis.org/ weekly 1.0 https://ricfrancis.org/home monthly 0.8 https://storage.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_142.jpg Buenos Aires BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA <p>A dog wearing a tie joins a group of men who are waiting outside a church to receive free meals.</p> https://ricfrancis.org/contact monthly 0.8 https://ricfrancis.org/dilemma-of-education monthly 0.8 https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_01_web.jpg Dilemma of Education AGAGO DISTRICT, UGANDA During sunrise Phillips Oluoch, 12, left, who had to stop attending school because his family could not afford school fees, waits with his mother for several village women, as they make their way to work in the field. The hidden cost of schooling is overwhelming in the post-conflict Acholi sub-region. Children constitute an invaluable source of stopgap labour for households re-establishing livelihood strategies. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_02_web.jpg Dilemma of Education PADER DISTRICT, UGANDA Primary one (P1) students at Acutomer Primary School wait for their teacher to return to the classroom; P1 students range in ages between six and eight. The room's windows have no glass so when it rains the students must move their desks to the center of the room. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_03_web.jpg Dilemma of Education PADER DISTRICT, UGANDA Primary one (P1) students lineup to have their school work examined by their teacher at Acutomer Primary School. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_04_web.jpg Dilemma of Education PATONGO TOWN COUNCIL, UGANDA David Francis Odoki writes on a board and his students take notes at Kiteny Primary School. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_05_web.jpg Dilemma of Education PADER DISTRICT, UGANDA Alex Opira, right, headmaster at Acutomer Primary School, tries to resolve a problem about overpaid school fees involving Pauline Akwero, foreground, her Robert Mugisha, 11, seated on the floor - far left, and a teacher. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_06_web.jpg Dilemma of Education PADER DISTRICT, UGANDA Students play during their lunch break at Acutomer Primary School. The school does not provide meals to the students so because many of them live too far to go home for lunch they don't eat. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_07_web.jpg Dilemma of Education PADER DISTRICT, UGANDA Charles Okot, 23, teaches literacy in Kwan (the local language) to primary one (P1) students at Acutomer Primary School. P1 students range in ages between six and eight. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_08_web.jpg Dilemma of Education PADER DISTRICT, UGANDA Charles Okot, 23, teaches literacy in Kwan (the local language) to primary one (P1) students at Acutomer Primary School. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_09_web.jpg Dilemma of Education OBIRA VILLAGE, UGANDA Students must study outdoors at Obira Primary School because the district lacks school buildings, however one is under construction. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_10_web.jpg Dilemma of Education OBIRA VILLAGE, UGANDA New classroom blocks under construction at Obira Primary School. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_11_web.jpg Dilemma of Education CODONG VILLAGE, UGANDA Teacher Charles Ocana conducts class under a tree as Agnes Alimo, 10, paces while taking notes to keep her one-year old brother quiet; babysitting during school is a must for her. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_12_web.jpg Dilemma of Education CODONG VILLAGE, UGANDA Agnes Alimo, 10, left, returns home from school with her one-year old brother (Regan Kidaga) because he would not stop crying. Her sister Vicky Auma, 7, center, and a neighborhood boy, Ogen, 6 (who didn't know his last name) stayed home from school to crush groundnuts. Children constitute an invaluable source of stopgap labor for households re-establishing livelihood strategies in post-conflict northern Uganda. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_13_web.jpg Dilemma of Education OBOLOKOME VILLAGE, UGANDA Ben Okidi, 8, right, and Alfred Olanya, 10, center, along with two other brothers watch over the family's herd of cattle; all the brothers missed school today because of this chore. Children constitute an invaluable source of stopgap labor for households re-establishing livelihood strategies in post-conflict northern Uganda. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/dilemma_of_ed_14_web.jpg Dilemma of Education OBOLOKOME VILLAGE, UGANDA Nighty Akwero, 7, must work in a cassava field today instead of going to school because her mother is home with an injured foot. https://ricfrancis.org/early-childhood-education---nairobi monthly 0.8 https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_01_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Teacher Nancy Vivian Obanda sits at the classroom entrance welcoming her young students. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_02_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Teacher Nancy Vivian Obanda, third from right, chats with parents who are dropping off their children for school. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_03_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Nancy Vivian Obanda leads her baby class students in prayer before their snacks are distributed. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_04_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Ebsen Onyango, 4-1/2-yrs. old, chats with a classmate. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_06_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA After correctly answering a question Ebsen Onyango, 4-1/2 years old, rocks her hips and head as her classmates sing, "Well done, well done, try again another day, keep up a very good girl." The school uses songs to make learning fun for its young students. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_07_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Teacher Nancy Vivian Obanda collects notebooks from her baby (2-3 year olds) class students. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_08_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Nursery school students play while their teacher, at the front of the room, administers a test to three students at a time. "I can't test the entire class at once because they would just play with and tear or stain the paperwork," says Cecilia Muringi. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_09_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Nursery school students chat during playtime while their teacher, at the front of the room, calls individual students to her desk to perform a reading exercise. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_10_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA While testing a student's reading ability, nursery teacher Cecilia Muringi eyes a student who is not behaving properly. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_11_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Cecilia Muringi, who teaches the nursery (4-5 year olds) class, calls out names for students to come forward with their homework. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_12_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Nursery school teacher Cecilia Muringi checks a student's homework and reading ability. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_13_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Cecilia Muringi reviews the just completed work of her nursery school students as she has them read from their paperwork. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_14_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Linet Mueni, 4, reads from the blackboard in front of her classmates. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_16_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Stephen Maina, 2 years and 9 months, falls asleep while Isaac Muriithi, 3 years, does class work with teacher Nancy Vivian Obanda overhead. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_17_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Maria Wanjiku, left, the school cook, relaxes with the nursery school class during naptime. Ebsen Onyango, 4-1/2 years, top-center, sits with her eyes open. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_18_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Bravin Emmanuel, 3-1/2 years old, center, and his fellow students enjoy their snack break. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_19_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Oliphian Obed, 4-1/2 years old, right, and a fellow student dance and sing in front of their classmates during the snack period. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_20_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Several pre-school boys sing and dance in front of their classmates during the snack period. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_22_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Simon Githui, 4, left, Abdallah Salim, 4, second from left, and other nursery school students play while their teacher, at the front of the room, administers a test to three students at a time. "I can't test the entire class at once because they would just play with and tear or stain the paperwork," says Cecilia Muringi. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_23_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Ann Rose Nyambura, 3, is the center of attention as several students observe her doing classwork. Their teacher is walking around the room collecting notebooks. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_24_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA A nursery school student who is not feeling well rests while her classmates wait for lunch to be served. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_25_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Nursery school students play while their teacher, at the front of the room, administers a test to three students at a time. "I can't test the entire class at once because they would just play with and tear or stain the paperwork," says Cecilia Muringi. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_26_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Dionisia Wawira Kitmaka teaches the pre-unit (5-6 year olds) class. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_27_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA After correctly answering a question Vivian Aisha, 4, rocks her hips and head as her classmates sing, "Well done, well done, try again another day, keep up a very good girl." The school uses songs to make learning fun for its young students. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_28_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Nursery school students sing along with their teacher who is at the front of the room. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Early_Education_29_web.jpg Early Childhood Education NAIROBI, KENYA Ebsen Onyango, 4-1/2-yrs. old sits at her desk during class. https://ricfrancis.org/faces-of-south-america monthly 0.8 https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/bagua_amazon_river_ferry.jpg Faces of South America BAGUA (AMAZON), PERU Gilmer Ugkaju Intakea Edad, 20, bottom, an Awajun, ferries passengers across the Chiriaco river. One month after a bloody clash between indigenous natives (Awajun), local migrants and the Peruvian national police, life outside the provincial city of Bagua, Peru has returned to normal. On June 5, 2009 the police, using tanks, helicopters, tear gas and firearms, attacked a roadblock approximately 450 miles north of the capital, Lima. Protestors had been blocking roads for two months to demonstrate their opposition to laws that gave logging, mining and oil companies access to their ancestral grounds - the Amazon. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Awajun_10.jpg Faces of South America BAGUA (AMAZON), PERU One month after a bloody clash between indigenous natives (Awajun), local migrants and the Peruvian national police, locals visit a memorial in honor of their family, friends and neighbors who died fighting for indigenous rights. On June 5, 2009 the police, using tanks, helicopters, tear gas and firearms, attacked a roadblock approximately 450 miles north of the capital, Lima. Protestors had been blocking roads for two months to demonstrate their opposition to laws that gave logging, mining and oil companies access to their ancestral grounds - the Amazon. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/la_rinconada.jpg Faces of South America LA RINCONADA, PERU Gold miners leaving the mountains make their way through a pathway of garbage. The horrendous sanitary conditions result from the unregulated disposal of garbage and human waste. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/bolivian_bowler_hat.jpg Faces of South America DORADO CHICO, BOLIVIA An Afro-Bolivian woman, Irma Medina, 45, pauses while walking up a hill to her home. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/La_Toma01.jpg Faces of South America LA TOMA, COLOMBIA A young girl toils at a small-scale gold mining site along with members of her family. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_06_peru.jpg Faces of South America EL CARMEN, PERU Two Peruvian neighbors pose for a photograph. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_07_peru.jpg Faces of South America YAPATERA, PERU Several Afro-Peruvian men relax over a game of cards in the northern region near Ecuador. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_08_peru.jpg Faces of South America LIMA, PERU Thousands of Peruvians gather at an outdoor mass and procession in honor of Our Lord of Miracles (Senor de los Milagros). It's the country's most widely attended religious event.It is rooted in African culture. According to tradition, in 1651 an enslaved man from Angola, who had converted to Catholicism, painted the depiction of Christ crucified on the wall of a building in Lima. In 1655 a major earthquake hit the area destroying the building, but the wall adorned with the painting was unharmed. Another earthquake, in 1687, caused the building to collapse and again the wall with the painted image remained intact. This cemented the importance of the image to the faithful. A replica of the image (with the Virgin Mary on one side) was created and is taken out in procession through the streets of Peru annually. The veneration of the image has international as well as national significance and it is associated with miraculous incidents. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_09_colombia.jpg Faces of South America LA TOMA, COLOMBIA Maria Yuly, 25-years old, the daughter of a miner, washes clothes as several gold miners relax overhead during their morning break. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_148.jpg Faces of South America TOCANA, BOLIVIA Juana Vasquez, 71, picks coca leaves in the lush Yungas Valley. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_10_bolivia.jpg Faces of South America TOCANA, BOLIVIA Exhausted from picking coca leaves Juana Vasquez, 71, chats with her 7-year old grandson after preparing his lunch. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_14_bolivia.jpg Faces of South America TOCANA, BOLIVIA A young Afro-Bolivian girl washes her hair. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_15_bolivia.jpg Faces of South America TOCANA, BOLIVIA An Afro-Bolivian hunter returns home at the end of the day in the lush Yungas Valley. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_19_bolivia.jpg Faces of South America TOCANA, BOLIVIA As the sun sets a group of Afro-Bolivian children play soccer. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_22_bolivia.jpg Faces of South America TOCANA, BOLIVIA Two Afro-Bolivian girls stroll home. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_21.jpg Faces of South America LA ALEGRIA, ECUADOR An Afro-Ecuadorian woman observes pedestrians from her front window. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_149.jpg Faces of South America DORADO CHICO, BOLIVIA Afro-Bolivians and indigenous community members participate in a ceremony marking a religious festival ('Fiesta de San Benito'). https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_123.jpg Faces of South America BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA A young girl, 12-years old, masquerades in blackface as an Afro-Latino prostitute as she solicits tourists for money. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_107.jpg Faces of South America BAGUA PROVINCE (NORTH AMAZON), PERU A young Awajun boy carries a papaya from his father's canoe. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_108.jpg Faces of South America BAGUA PROVINCE (NORTH AMAZON), PERU Gilmer Ugkaju Intakea Edad, 20, bottom, ferries, via a rope operated bridge, passengers across the Chiriaco river. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_106.jpg Faces of South America BAGUA PROVINCE (NORTH AMAZON), PERU Two brothers share a carefree afternoon. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features193.jpg Faces of South America TOCANA, BOLIVIA Colombians come and go at a busy marketplace. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_46.jpg Faces of South America LA RINCONADA, PERU Nancy Avila, 29, right, chews coca leaves while Hilda Cahuana, 40, grinds ore in search of gold. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_45.jpg Faces of South America LA RINCONADA, PERU Miners dump a container of ore that has been examined for gold. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features195.jpg Faces of South America TOCANA, BOLIVIA A young woman waiting for a local bus to go into the nearby town, is temporarily joined by her naked child outside their home. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_25.jpg Faces of South America CORIPATA (NORTH YUNGAS), BOLIVIA Workers use rocks to pave the streets of this north Yungas community. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_143.jpg Faces of South America BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA Workers in downtown Buenos Aires pass a theater which features a Broadway play. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_102.jpg Faces of South America LA PAZ, BOLIVIA Folkloric groups and dancers march through the streets in celebration of La Festividad de Nuestro Senor Jesus del Gran Poder. It began in 1939 as a candle procession proceeded by an image of Christ. It has evolved into a large celebration honoring the Aymara culture. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_26_bolivia.jpg Faces of South America DORADO CHICO, BOLIVIA An Afro-Bolivian woman observes a church service. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_25_bolivia.jpg Faces of South America DORADO CHICO, BOLIVIA An Afro-Bolivian dance troupe performs for churchgoers during a celebration marking a religious festival ("Fiesta de San Benito"). https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_36_ecuador.jpg Unexpected Faces LA ALEGRIA, ECUADOR Friends and family gather on a neighbor's porch. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_39_ecuador.jpg Faces of South America LA ALEGRIA, ECUADOR Jose Castillo, 17, left, navigates the boat as his father Vicente Castillo, 68, bails out water that is leaking inside. Justiña Ayovi, 58, is a passenger. The Castillos use the boat as a taxi to service communities along the Santiago and Cayapas Rivers. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_46_peru.jpg Faces of South America CHINCHA, PERU Pinta y Canela, an Afro-Peruvian music/dance group, performs at a local restaurant. To many outsiders, contemporary descendants of the transatlantic slave trade are not as well known in Peru as they are in Columbia or Brazil. Afro-Peruvians are mostly concentrated along the coast. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_48_peru_web.jpg Faces of South America AN JOSE, PERU Several young Peruvians hangout after watching a local soccer game. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_51_peru.jpg Faces of South America EL CARMEN, PERU An Afro-Peruvian girl, right, watches as two evangelical women, with children, go door-to-door distributing religious material. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_61_peru.jpg Faces of South America LIMA, PERU Activists hand out leaflets denouncing the racist depiction of Afro-Peruvians on national television shows. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_62_peru.jpg Faces of South America LIMA, PERU Eduardo Castillo answers his cellphone as his brother Victor Castillo struggles under the weight of a heavy coffin. Afro-Peruvian men (a vocational identity known as Camalenque) are highly sought to work as pallbearers - clad in tuxedos and white gloves at the most upscale funerals - under the belief that their skin-color lends an aura of elegance to the job. On May 18, 2010 Peru's Ministry of Culture denounced the practice of the Camalenque as racist and requested - to no avail - that the mortuary business end the service. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ricf_63_colombia.jpg Faces of South America LA TOMA, COLOMBIA Yani Andrea Mina, 17-years old, plays with her 5-month old daughter, Mailin Andrea Mina, with her grandmother in the background. https://ricfrancis.org/features monthly 0.8 https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/oromia_rfrancis_18_blog.jpg Coffee Cooperative OROMIA REGION (GELAN DISTRICT), ETHIOPIA Workers, at the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU) Ltd. processing plant, unload sacks of coffee beans for cleaning. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/rainstorm_nap.jpg Rainstorm Nap KATOOKE TOWN COUNCIL, UGANDA Imelda Gafabusa, 70, falls asleep near her front door while waiting for a rainstorm to end; before the rain she spent four hours working in the field tending to her sweet potato, cassava, and groundnut crops. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/ayilo_refugee_camp_web.jpg Daluka AYILO RESETTLEMENT CAMP, UGANDA Children of South Sudanese refugees, who fled their country because of war, entertain themselves with a dance called "Daluka." In response to fighting which broke out in South Sudan, in December 2013, thousands of South Sudanese refugees crossed the border at Nimule into northern Uganda. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Internally_Displaced_People.jpg Internally Displaced People BOR COUNTY, SOUTH SUDAN South Sudanese, who have been living as internally displaced peoples (IDPs), gather under a large tree to distribute their monthly food rations. Thousands of South Sudanese became IDPs in the states of Jonglei and Juba, following the outbreak of fighting between forces loyal to South Sudan president Salvar Kiir and his ex-vice president Rick Machar in December 2013. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/A_Refugee.jpg A Refugee AYILO RESETTLEMENT CAMP, UGANDA Makal Mawut Abour, 14, from Jonglei state in South Sudan, stands at the entrance of a church (under construction) observing a crowd of South Sudanese refugees waiting to receive soap and feminine hygiene pads. In response to fighting which broke out in South Sudan in December 2013, thousands of refugees crossed the border at Nimule into northern Uganda. The fighting was between forces loyal to South Sudan president Salvar Kiir and his ex-vice president Rick Machar. The refugees have refused to return home because of fear the fighting will resume. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_143.jpg Faces of South America BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA Workers in downtown Buenos Aires pass a theater which features a Broadway play. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_43.jpg Partial Eclipse NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA A partial solar eclipse occurs with the moon shielding 35 percent of the sun. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_03.jpg Fiesta de San Benito DORADO CHICO, BOLIVIA An Afro-Bolivian woman looks downhill on a festival which marks a religious festival ('Fiesta de San Benito'). https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_150.jpg Northern Peru YAPATERA, PERU Several Afro-Peruvian men play cards. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_21.jpg Faces of South America LA ALEGRIA, ECUADOR An Afro-Ecuadorian woman observes pedestrians from her front window. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_102.jpg Faces of South America LA PAZ, BOLIVIA Folkloric groups and dancers march through the streets in celebration of La Festividad de Nuestro Senor Jesus del Gran Poder. It began in 1939 as a candle procession proceeded by an image of Christ. It has evolved into a large celebration honoring the Aymara culture. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_22.jpg Tug-of-War LA ALEGRIA, ECUADOR Afro-Ecuadorian children play tug-of-war. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_23.jpg Port Ilo ILO, PERU A woman and her grandson sit at a disembarkation dock and observe a flock of birds near the port of Ilo. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_33.jpg Bullfighting AREQUIPA, PERU A Peruvian exhorts two bulls into butting heads. Once begun the contest ends when one bull runs away. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_75.jpg Our Lord of Miracles LIMA, PERU Our Lord of Miracles is the country's most widely attended religious event. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_78.jpg Buddhist Worshippers BA REA PROVINCE, VIETNAM Worshippers at a Buddhist temple in the Ba Rea province of Vietnam gather for a prayer service. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_104.jpg Bolivian Festival LA PAZ, BOLIVIA Folkloric groups and dancers march through the streets in celebration of La Festividad de Nuestro Senor Jesus del Gran Poder. It began in 1939 as a candle procession proceeded by an image of Christ. It has evolved into a large celebration honoring the Aymara culture. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_83.jpg Unusual Weather CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA Katie Sanchez, 11, right, has a snowball fight with her brother Rudy, 13, after their family stopped along the highway to view the snow about fifteen miles north of Los Angeles. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_17.jpg Hair Rinse TOCANA, BOLIVIA An Afro-Bolivian girl rinses her hair. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_60.jpg La Tarumba CHORRILLOS, PERU An acrobat performs in 'La Tarumba', a non-traditional circus, which is a mix of Peru's Andean and black cultures. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features191.jpg Mining Community LA TOMA, COLOMBIA A young woman washes clothes while small-scale gold miners relax overhead during their morning break. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_136.jpg Scorched Earth VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Smoke from wildfires near the Oak Park area of Ventura County, Calif., is seen from San Fernando Valley.. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_113.jpg Arlington West ANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA Nancy Tunnell, with Veterans for Peace, smooths the sand at a memorial dedicated to American soldiers killed in Iraq. https://ricfrancis.org/visual-rhythms monthly 0.8 https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/nyanza_festival_ricfrancis_112.jpg Nyanza Musical and Cultural Festival NYANZA DISTRICT, RWANDA Dancers perform at the musical and cultural event at the Inyanza Twataramye Cultural and Sports Festival. The festival is a two-day event celebrating Rwandan culture and heritage. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_52.jpg La Tarumba CHORRILLOS, PERU An actor performs in 'La Tarumba', a non-traditional circus, which is a mix of Peru's Andean and black cultures. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_89.jpg Cole & Sinatra LOS ANGELES Nat King Cole's piano and Frank Sinatra's microphone are setup inside Studio B at Capitol Studios for recording. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_97.jpg Ray Charles NEW YORK Legendary R&B artist Ray Charles plays the Blue Note. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Features_100.jpg Usher LOS ANGELES Usher rehearses his act for the American Music Awards. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_92.jpg Honoring Freddie Hubbard INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA Stevie Wonder pays tribute during the funeral service for Grammy award-winning jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_91.jpg St. Thomas Housing Development NEW ORLEANS Rap artist/dancer Willie Puckett dances at a block party as fans chant "Go Willie Puckett Go." https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_185.jpg Buenos Aires BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA Two Argentines practice their Tango movements during an antiques fair in San Telmo. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Features_101.jpg Zulu Warrior Dance KLESPRUIT TOWNSHIP, SOUTH AFRICA Several Zulus perform Mangwe, a traditional Zulu warrior dance. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_06.jpg Fiesta de San Benito DORADO CHICO, BOLIVIA An Afro-Bolivian dance troupe performs for churchgoers during a celebration marking a religious festival ('Fiesta de San Benito'). https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_94.jpg Mardi Gras Indians NEW ORLEANS Bo Dollis, chief of the Wild Magnolias, struts on Mardi Gras Day. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_90.jpg Take Me Out to... AN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA Linda Blinn, left, uses a computer to find the words to 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame' while Erik Schulke, 5, foreground, sings a verse. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_85.jpg Billy Graham Celebration PASADENA, CALIFORNIA Nancy Brown, center, along with other Billy Graham crusade volunteers and local pastors sing during a birthday celebration for Graham Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004, at the Rose Bowl. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_93.jpg Artists For Peace LOS ANGELES Jazz legends Herbie Hancock, left, and Wayne Shorter perform in honor of musical genius Carlos Santana who received the first annual, "Humanity in the Arts Peace Award" from the Int'l Committee of Artists for Peace. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_96.jpg Carlos Santana NEW ORLEANS Carlos Santana performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_98.jpg A Gift of Dance T. PETERS SQUARE, ITALY A Sundanese dancer performed before Pope John Paul II during a canonization ceremony. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_99.jpg Van Halen LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Members of Van Halen, Sammy Hagar, center, Eddie Van Halen, right, and Michael Anthony perform Aug. 19, 2004. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_95.jpg Lauren Hill NEW ORLEANS Hip-hop artist Lauren Hills performs at the Essence Music Festival. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_69.jpg Our Lord of Miracles LIMA, PERU Women dressed in traditional purple capes watch and sing as a procession carrying a painting adorned with the image of Our Lord of Miracles arrives. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_147.jpg All Night Dancing EL CARMEN, PERU Several young women greet the morning light after an all night partycontinues to go strong. https://ricfrancis.org/portraits monthly 0.8 https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_178.jpg Wildfire CIBECUE, ARIZONA Eleanor Bullock, a White Mountain Apache, walks home as a plume of smoke from the Rodeo-Chediski fires paints the sky. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_137.jpg Overseas Iraqi Voting IRVINE, CALIFORNIA An Iraqi immigrant is silhouetted through a sheet at a voting box as she participates in Iraq's election. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_140.jpg Mound Bayou MOUND BAYOU, MISSISSIPPI An elder relaxes on her porch in an all-black municipality founded by ex-slaves in 1887. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_177.jpg Will.I.Am GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA Will.I.Am, of the Blackeyed Peas, poses for a photograph at his studio. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_174.jpg David Carradine TARZANA, CALIFORNIA Actor David Carradine responds to a question during an interview at his home. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/Bugesera_District_10_web.jpg Rwanda Reads BUGESERA DISTRICT, RWANDA Students read during class at Nyirarukobwa Primary School; they are participating in a literacy boost program for grades one through three. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_107.jpg Faces of South America BAGUA PROVINCE (NORTH AMAZON), PERU A young Awajun boy carries a papaya from his father's canoe. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_16.jpg Unexpected Faces DORADO CHICO, BOLIVIA An Afro-Bolivian woman, Irma Medina, 45, pauses while walking up a hill to her home. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_12.jpg Barack Obama VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA Then Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., responds to a question after holding a roundtable discussion with four California residents on economic opportunity Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008, in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_158.jpg Million Man March WASHINGTON, D.C. Members of The Nation of Islam 's security team keep watch during the Million Man March at the capitol. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_92.jpg Honoring Freddie Hubbard INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA Stevie Wonder pays tribute during the funeral service for Grammy award-winning jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_84.jpg King of Pop ANTA MARIA, CALIFORNIA Michael Jackson waves to fans as he arrives at the Santa Barbara County courthouse for his child molestation trial. https://cdn.neonsky.app/4dadebec5e316/images/features_46.jpg Faces of South America LA RINCONADA, PERU Nancy Avila, 29, right, chews coca leaves while Hilda Cahuana, 40, grinds ore in search of gold.