The organisation I used to work for (pre photography!) – Micah Projects – has a vision of creating justice and responding to injustice.  Their teams work hard to break down barriers that leave people without housing, healthcare, employment, meaningful connections and importantly, a voice.  So many wonderful people work very hard in often very difficult, tragic and critical circumstances.  I can’t speak highly enough of them all – in particular Karyn Walsh, the lady behind it all.  

The stories in this book are very confronting – they tell of some awful truths of childhoods that are very hard to hear.  Part of Karyn’s writing in the front of the book “…as these individuals say – a home and access to services can make the difference.  People can feel their own strength come back, a sense of dignity can emerge again, and as their portraits show, they can smile at the future.”

My little blurb at the back of this book:   “Meeting all the people in this book to photograph was just amazing!  I often photograph families and people in their homes, but I noticed a particular sense of ease, of comfort held by these people in their homes, which I think must come from appreciation.  It wasn’t until after I’d met most people that I read their stories and really began to understand where their gratitude came from.  They now have some sense of security and stability after a life of anything but.  … It was great to bring to light the faces of such incredible life stories that I believe are so important to share, acknowledge and begin to understand”  

the shot below is from this man’s balcony in his home at the new Common Ground building in South Brisbane!