Documentary Photo Essay: 16 Months After Katrina.
While New Orleans and the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina were a hot topic on news outlets at the end of 2005, it’s rarely mentioned anywhere in early 2007. Judging by Mr. President’s State of The Union Address in January 2007 and complete absence of any mention of the Gulf region, the recovery has proceeded as planed (or not planed) and all is well in good old New Orleeens, as locals call it. In other words - “Mission Accomplished!”
I spent five days in New Orleans volunteering with University of Illinois at Chicago Alternative Spring Break program in the middle of December 2006. While there, I found miles and miles of devastation - the 9th Ward and St. Bernard’s Parish looked as if Hurricane Katrina came through just a few weeks ago (probably as did other areas that I did not have a chance to visit). The military patroled the streets in fully camouflaged Humvees and local governments cheated and forced residents out of their land in order to sell it to the highest corporate bidder. Despite all that, those who came back were organizing to protect or get back their property. They were rebuilding and many had to start anew. We were housed at Habitat for Humanity Camp Hope in the 9th Ward under the leadership of director Crystal Wells, and were part of a Christmas celebration and gift distribution. The music, the dancing, the smiles, the humanity were there - the human spirit certainly never left New Orleans. In addition to the residents, people from San Francisco to Boston, and from Corpus Christi to Chicago come to help in whatever way they can in the recovery. If only our leaders were as compassionate as those who they lead...
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Copyright © 2009 Kostya Nakazny
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 <br>and with the dedication of many volunteers <br>such as this young man.', 'Title: Dance. Digital color photo. Resident of the 9th Ward and of all ages came to receive the donated gifts. The gifts came from the kind hears of Americans from all over the United States and people around the world. Volunteers did everything they could to make Christmas at Camp Hope fun and memorable. This young volunteer danced with visitors under the tunes of The Treme Brass Band.');)
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 <br>roofing team leader. <br>I would get goosebumps from watching her sit on <br>the corner of the roof with one foot dangling in the air<br> sixteen feet above the ground.', 'Title: AmeriCorps Roofing Leader. Digital color image. A portrait of Terra, one of many AmeriCorps volunteers who were helping (and still are) with rebuilding New Orleans. She taught Alternative Spring Break volunteers from University of Illinois at Chicago how to nail roof insulations. ');)
 who rebuild their house and moved in. It took them feeftin (15) months for reconstruction and rebuilding. She was kind enough to feed the volunteers local Cajun rice and beans dish.');)
<br>and gutting team leader(first <br>man on the left). He has been <br>at Camp Hope for over six <br>months and is a native of Canada.', 'Title: Gutters. Digital color photograph. Teams of volunteers were sent out to gut houses all over Ninth Ward. Seven members of Alternative Spring Break program from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) with their team leader from Camp Hope are resting after completing their assignment. ');)
 and Victoria Church are inspecting the damage left by the flooding waters of Hurricane Katrina in this digital color image. The photograph documents the damage from the surge of the broken levees that was over the roof line in this neighborhood. The water stayed above the roof long enough that the blades of the fan simply sagged when water retreated.');)
 that <br>the resident of the house was <br>a single elderly woman. <br>She posted a For Sale sign because <br>she could not afford to rebuild <br>her house devastated by <br>the Hurricane Katrina. <br><br> She was fond of sewing; but unlike <br>in the famous photograph by Steve <br>McCurry, where an Indian man <br>received a new Singer sewing <br>machine after monsoon, because <br>the manufacturer saw the image, <br>this woman will not be getting <br>her new instrument.', '');)
 months after the hurricane passed, <br>but the bathroom towel, now gray and black from <br>the dirt floating in the water, is still hanging <br>by the mirror.', 'Title: They Planned On Coming Back. This digital color photograph is of the bathroom in the house we gutted. A dirty towel is still hanging by the mirror amid Katrina’s destruction - fallen insulation is on the bathroom counter and the counter’s drawers are spewing their contents on the floor. ');)
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 months after the levees broke, she has still not visited her property. The folders, papers, and a book have dried up and are useless. The front seat is covered with cracked mud.');)
 <br>was piled up in the front yard for the giant <br>trash trucks to haul away.', 'Title: Salvaged Possessions. These were the only items worth saving. We left them for the resident to pick up at her convenience.');)
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