The starving girl, the vulture and Kevin Carter

The photo of a starving girl in Sudan,

which earned Kevin Carter,

a South African photographer,

world fame and a Pulitzer Price

in 1994,

also bought him pain,

depression and criticism,

and finally death.

The little girl, Kong Nyong,

survived a certain death by starvation,

and the hungry vulture waiting for her death.

But she received help at a UN emergency food centre,

and was saved from the severe malnutrition she was suffering from.

Kong Nyong died in 2006,

according to her father,

as a young adult,

victim of "fevers",

not of starvation.

In contrast,

Kevin Carter did NOT survive!

After taking this photo,

he sat down under a tree,

smoked a cigarette and wept.

He cried for all the brutal deaths

he had seen and photographed,

he cried for the loss

of his friend Ken Oosterbroek,

killed in action,

he cried for the deep emotions

that severe suffering evokes.

His life was in turmoil,

chaotic,

drugs were not the solution

to taking away his inner pain,

his depression, his failures.

He had no money,

emotionally he was devasted.

He found release of his suffering

in suicide!