The tears of the wedding
I met Ms. Kayatu in 2001 in a trip a made to Gambia. At that time she was 10 years old, I met her beautiful family and stood in touch with them on a regular basis. Upon my return to Gambia in 2003, I visited them again, they made me feel like family, I was always welcomed with joy. In 2006, I went to Gambia and was found with the news that Kayatu had been arraigned to marry her first cousin, a 19 year old young man who lived in Julanguel. It was a tradition in Gambia at this time to be arranged to marry, and to marry your first cousins. By then, Kayatu was 15 years old. As I gift from me to her and her family, I asked if I could be the photographer of the wedding, delighted they said yes.
On the day of the wedding, right before Kayatu walked into the ceremony I asked her if she was happy, if she wanted to get married. Her response was a long pause of silence. I must confess that I felt sorrow instead of happiness right in that instant. I proceeded to take her a picture and it was then, as soon as I focused the camera that a tear dripped down her small face. I took that emotion as the answers to my questions and called the picture “La Lagrima de la Boda” in English “ The Tear of the Wedding” .
Currently Kayatu is a mother of four children, we kept in touch and I have had the blessing of meeting all of her kids. I have also been able to assist her and her family financially in any means I can. What I do, photography, is not a job, what I do is, work hard to help others and in this way help myself too. Because nothing makes happier than to make others happy, this is my way to change the world, or someone’s world to a better one.
I must also say, Kayatu is living very happy.
Quim Fabregas
Humanitarian Photographer
Quim Fabregas, Spain, Ponferrada
