This chronological series was created in 2012 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.). The imagery depicts Congolese exploring abandoned planes at Goma airport. At the time, I would often drive by and see the planes, now no longer there. They were impossible to visit, as they were officially a military installation. But at some point during the M23 war, the Congolese military had fled the city. So one afternoon, we drove past and saw some Congolese walking and playing on the airplanes. We made our way to the planes and spent two hours there. These are among my best memories from the D.R.C., as the planes and all they represent (privilege, opportunity, freedom, etc) became powerless. After millions of deaths in the deadliest conflict worldwide since World War II, the strength, spirit and resilience of the Congolese continues to shine through.
After we departed at dusk on that first day, Horeb Bulambo Shindano, a friend and colleague who joined us that day, recounted his history with the planes:
“In January of 2002, the volcano (Mount Nyiragongo) exploded. Many friends and I, living near the airport, lost our homes on that first day of the eruption. On the second day, we saw lava moving towards the airplanes, so we decided to try and at least move the newest plane. Over a hundred people were there, pushing the plane for about 300 meters, away from the lava. Meanwhile, one of my neighborhood friends, whose home was also destroyed and who was also there, had a childhood dream to be a pilot. But his parents had been too poor, and all the schools were expensive, so he was not able to hold onto that dream. He had forgotten about it. But, on that day, when we needed to move the plane, he asked me to help him inside so that he might steer it! We all then pushed the plane as my friend waved his arm out the window of the cockpit. Eventually, the rest of us climbed into the plane and from that height saw the lava flowing from the volcano and into town.”
