AP’s Krista Larson tells Hamamatou’s Story
In this April 16, 2014 photo, 10-year-old Hamamatou Harouna smiles as she sits in a tent with other Muslim refugees on the grounds of the Catholic Church in Carnot, Central African Republic. Hammamatou, who had lost the use of her legs to polio, fled Anti-Balaka violence in her village, carried on the back of her 12-year-old brother Souleymane. She spent 10 days alone in the forest. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
AP West Africa correspondent Krista Larson met Hamamatou Harouna, who is unable to walk because she has polio. Hamamatou managed to survive a rampage by Christian fighters on her Muslim village by fleeing on the back of her 12-year-old brother.
“I was in Carnot, Central African Republic, to do a follow-up story about the Catholic church that was sheltering 900 Muslims. AP Chief Africa Photographer Jerome Delay spotted Hamamatou crawling through the mud on her way back from the communal toilets and snapped her photo. She stole our hearts with her determination and bright eyes. It’s been touching to see how many people have reached out to help Hamamatou despite a lack of international interest in the conflict ravaging her country.”
Find out more about the story at http://blog.ap.org/2014/06/06/piecing-together-the-story-of-a-girl-10-left-in-an-african-forest/
