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Benjamin Rusnak

Two-time US National Park Artist-in-Residence
561-213-1517
[email protected]
Based in South Florida/Miami
© 2020

Reportage

A young girl cries after another child stole a toy she found in the garbage dump outside Quezaltenango, Guatemala. Desperate people travel for hours on foot to scrounge through the garbage daily to find scrap metal or bottles they can sell to recyclers or garments and toys they can repair and sell in a market. Often they eat what the find in the trash, carrying it home to share with their hungry families. In the developing world this is an all too common way for the poor to survive. Food For The Poor is helping to get people out of the dump with a vocational training center, new homes and water projects.

Like predators, young boys prowl through the swamp near their slum in Cap Haitien, Haiti, searching for small fish or shrimp to supplement their meager diets.

A tidal swamp is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of poor Haitians who relocate from the countryside to the northern city of Cap Haitien in search of a better life. In the countryÕs second largest city, land is as scarce as food for the newly arriving poor, so the city's garbage is mixed with earth to create tiny islands of new land on which a shack is perched in the swamp that borders the city.
The children that live on the fringes of Cap Haitien pass many hours each day aware of their hunger and when they venture into the swamp it is to supplement their meager diets, not to play. Like their parents, who hustle and scrap on the streets of Cap Haitien, the children crawl and claw through the mangroves and tall grasses in search of tiny fish, shrimp and crabs, all of which are caught by hand. If they are lucky, these young predators may even snare a wading bird. Survival of the fittest rules the lives of all the swampÕs inhabitants.

Languishing in the shadows of her poverty, Alexandra Visiosa, 7, of Haitian decent, lives in a stick shack on the Dominican Republic side of the border. Her grandmother says she and the other children can't attend school because they can't afford to get the required birth certificates.

Thousands of desperately hungry earthquake victims clamor for food as Food For The Poor and the Salvation Army distribute a tractor trailer of food at the Salvation Army compound in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The crowd, near their boiling point, pressed together dangerously.

Anxiously awaiting their only meal of the day, children gather around a meager pot of vegetable broth that needs to feed 5 children and 2 adults. Their grandmother, Mercedes Visiosa, 75, does her best to provide, but says it is out of her hands. "God gives me my daily bread. My life is his."

A neighboorhood in the Petionville area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti lies in ruins as people pick through what remains after the earthquake.

With at least 50,000 earthquake victims living on what was once a golf course at a private country club, Delmas 40B is one of the largest tent cities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Food For The Poor installed an 8,000 gallon water tank near the camp, which is refilled by truck several times a day.

Shafts of light pierce the thick smoke of a cooking fire as children play in the doorway, awaiting their only meal of the day in rural El Salvador.

Guatemala Malnutrition - A Family's Loss
The Cha Choc family, standing next to son Ronaldo's grave, has lost three children to malnutrition in the past few years.
According to a USAID report, ÒGuatemala continues to have the highest rate of chronic malnutrition (49% nationally) in this hemisphere, higher than many countries in Africa. The United Nations reports that 23% of Guatemalan children under age 5 are underweight and one in two children under age 5 are stunted." Although it is not the poorest country in the region, Guatemala is the sixth hungriest nation in the world.
A multi-year drought, combined with a collapse in the world-wide coffee market several years ago, which was a major agricultural employer, and a steep rise in the cost of corn is causing am increasing food crisis, particularly for children, who are always more vulnerable to illness and disease. The worst cases are in the eastern regions, where many indigenous Mayans live secluded in small, mountainous villages. Although some relief agencies are venturing into the hills to deliver desperately needed food, thousands remain hungry. There is one sector near Zacapa where doctors say at least 15 children are near death and 1,000 children could be equally bad within a few months. Another report from the World Food Program states that in the eastern part of the country nearly 60,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition, with 6,000 close to death.

Guatemala Malnutrition - Rural Life
The Diaz family, which has lost five children in five years to malnutrition and related illnesses, lives in a remote stick shack in Zacapa Guatemala.

Guatemala Malnutrition - Cracked
Flesh and earth blend together as a thin boy plays on the dry, cracked floor inside his family's Zacapa, Guatemala home.

Guatemala Malnutrition - Sowing Difficult Terrain
Vernave Garcia, 63, and son Gilberto, 14, plant corn a steep hillside, hoping for rain and the ability to feed their family this year, instead of the drought and chronic malnutrition that they have come to know.

Guatemala Malnutrition - Hope of Life
Zuleyca Cha Choc arrived seriously malnourished and near death at the Hope of Life malnutrition center, weighing only 6 lbs. at 7 months old. A day later, she is re-hydrated and beginning what will be a long and slow recovery.

Guatemala Malnutrition - Distribution
A relief agency distributes food to mothers in rural Guatemala. These women will carry the sacks home to their families and stretch the food for as long as many weeks as thy can, hoping that there will be more food to follow.

Guatemala Malnutrition - Haunted
The gaunt and haunted faces of three young brothers show the signs of malnutrition and boys who have never known anything but hunger in Zacapa, Guatemala.

Guatemala Malnutrition - Long Walk
Villagers walk their mules loaded with food from a relief agency up a mountain to their homes. This arid region of Zacapa, Guatemala has suffered a drought for several years, yielding only a harvest of malnutrition.

Guatemala Malnutrition - Prayer for Health
The Masdra family prays over daughter, Claudia, 1, who lies malnourished and listless in her mother's lap. The family has lost three boys to malnutrition. Claudia was later admitted to a malnutrition center for care.

A deacon surveying the damage to the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in St. George's, Grenada touches one of the few things to survive Hurricane Ivan's category five winds: a damaged statue of Saint Martin. The hurricane killed dozens and left thousands homeless when it destroyed or damaged 90% of the buildings on the island.

Water Everywhere
Residents of Gonaives wade through more than a mile of floodwater in order leave the city. Tropical Storm Jeanne killed more than 2,000 in the area of Gonaives and left hundreds of thousands homeless, as it passed on Sept. 18, 2004.

Thomas Corales, 82, lost his home to Hurricane Felix and has nothing left but a few clothes that he dug out of the wreckage. The remote villages that make up the community of Sandy Bay, Nicaragua were shattered by Hurricane Felix which damaged most of the homes as the category five storm roared ashore just to the north. Village leaders say that about 95 people are missing, most of whom were fishing on islands off shore and were unaware of the ferocity of the storm.

The remote villages that make up the community of Sandy Bay, Nicaragua were shattered by Hurricane Felix which damaged most of the homes as the category five storm roared ashore.

Windall Bent, who didn't know his age, reflects on his demolished home, which survived 100 years and many storms until the category five winds of Hurricane Ivan whipped the south coast of Jamaica.

Much of the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is actually a dirt road dividing the two nations that share the island of Hispaniola. That road is called ÒLa Linea,Ó or ÒThe Line,Ó and the only demarcations are occasional yellow-painted concrete markers inscribed with RD (Republica Dominicana) and RH (Republique dÕHaiti).

A boy closes his eyes for a moment to enjoy the rushing water as he bathes in a small stream along the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This is the same stream that is used by livestock and to collect drinking water.
For decades, Haitians have sought an escape from crippling poverty, political violence and social turmoil fueled by successive dictatorships and failed attempts at effective democratic government. The 2010 earthquake only made economic matters worse as Haiti still struggles to overcome that disaster. Pressed into the fringes of their nation and desperate for a better life, Haitians cross the border to find that they are unwelcome in the Dominican Republic and pressed back into the fringe with the implied fear of deportation. Many are not legal citizens of either country because they are too poor to afford the proper registration paperwork and fall outside what little safety net the governments have to offer. Unwilling to go backward and unable to move forward, the result is thousands of people living along a rural, open border, trapped by the invisible walls of their own poverty and their inability to participate as citizens. They have been marginalized by the governments of both nations and, for all intents and purposes, are people without a country who are invisible and forgotten.

For decades, Haitians have sought an escape from crippling poverty, political violence and social turmoil fueled by successive dictatorships and failed attempts at effective democratic government. The 2010 earthquake only made economic matters worse as Haiti still struggles to overcome that disaster. Pressed into the fringes of their nation and desperate for a better life, Haitians cross the border to find that they are unwelcome in the Dominican Republic and pressed back into the fringe with the implied fear of deportation. Many are not legal citizens of either country because they are too poor to afford the proper registration paperwork and fall outside what little safety net the governments have to offer. Unwilling to go backward and unable to move forward, the result is thousands of people living along a rural, open border, trapped by the invisible walls of their own poverty and their inability to participate as citizens. They have been marginalized by the governments of both nations and, for all intents and purposes, are people without a country who are invisible and forgotten.

For decades, Haitians have sought an escape from crippling poverty, political violence and social turmoil fueled by successive dictatorships and failed attempts at effective democratic government. The 2010 earthquake only made economic matters worse as Haiti still struggles to overcome that disaster. Pressed into the fringes of their nation and desperate for a better life, Haitians cross the border to find that they are unwelcome in the Dominican Republic and pressed back into the fringe with the implied fear of deportation. Many are not legal citizens of either country because they are too poor to afford the proper registration paperwork and fall outside what little safety net the governments have to offer. Unwilling to go backward and unable to move forward, the result is thousands of people living along a rural, open border, trapped by the invisible walls of their own poverty and their inability to participate as citizens. They have been marginalized by the governments of both nations and, for all intents and purposes, are people without a country who are invisible and forgotten.

After re-mudding the walls of their home, a family moves it's belonging back inside, along the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
For decades, Haitians have sought an escape from crippling poverty, political violence and social turmoil fueled by successive dictatorships and failed attempts at effective democratic government. The 2010 earthquake only made economic matters worse as Haiti still struggles to overcome that disaster. Pressed into the fringes of their nation and desperate for a better life, Haitians cross the border to find that they are unwelcome in the Dominican Republic and pressed back into the fringe with the implied fear of deportation. Many are not legal citizens of either country because they are too poor to afford the proper registration paperwork and fall outside what little safety net the governments have to offer. Unwilling to go backward and unable to move forward, the result is thousands of people living along a rural, open border, trapped by the invisible walls of their own poverty and their inability to participate as citizens. They have been marginalized by the governments of both nations and, for all intents and purposes, are people without a country who are invisible and forgotten.

A man bathes in a small stream along the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This is the same stream that is used by livestock and to collect drinking water.
For decades, Haitians have sought an escape from crippling poverty, political violence and social turmoil fueled by successive dictatorships and failed attempts at effective democratic government. The 2010 earthquake only made economic matters worse as Haiti still struggles to overcome that disaster. Pressed into the fringes of their nation and desperate for a better life, Haitians cross the border to find that they are unwelcome in the Dominican Republic and pressed back into the fringe with the implied fear of deportation. Many are not legal citizens of either country because they are too poor to afford the proper registration paperwork and fall outside what little safety net the governments have to offer. Unwilling to go backward and unable to move forward, the result is thousands of people living along a rural, open border, trapped by the invisible walls of their own poverty and their inability to participate as citizens. They have been marginalized by the governments of both nations and, for all intents and purposes, are people without a country who are invisible and forgotten.

Using a two-man saw Haitian farmers cut wood to repair a home along the border with the Dominican Republic.
For decades, Haitians have sought an escape from crippling poverty, political violence and social turmoil fueled by successive dictatorships and failed attempts at effective democratic government. The 2010 earthquake only made economic matters worse as Haiti still struggles to overcome that disaster. Pressed into the fringes of their nation and desperate for a better life, Haitians cross the border to find that they are unwelcome in the Dominican Republic and pressed back into the fringe with the implied fear of deportation. Many are not legal citizens of either country because they are too poor to afford the proper registration paperwork and fall outside what little safety net the governments have to offer. Unwilling to go backward and unable to move forward, the result is thousands of people living along a rural, open border, trapped by the invisible walls of their own poverty and their inability to participate as citizens. They have been marginalized by the governments of both nations and, for all intents and purposes, are people without a country who are invisible and forgotten.

A slaughtered chicken lies on the ground as a family prepares the cooking fire along the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
For decades, Haitians have sought an escape from crippling poverty, political violence and social turmoil fueled by successive dictatorships and failed attempts at effective democratic government. The 2010 earthquake only made economic matters worse as Haiti still struggles to overcome that disaster. Pressed into the fringes of their nation and desperate for a better life, Haitians cross the border to find that they are unwelcome in the Dominican Republic and pressed back into the fringe with the implied fear of deportation. Many are not legal citizens of either country because they are too poor to afford the proper registration paperwork and fall outside what little safety net the governments have to offer. Unwilling to go backward and unable to move forward, the result is thousands of people living along a rural, open border, trapped by the invisible walls of their own poverty and their inability to participate as citizens. They have been marginalized by the governments of both nations and, for all intents and purposes, are people without a country who are invisible and forgotten.

A girl plays with a homemade toy along the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
For decades, Haitians have sought an escape from crippling poverty, political violence and social turmoil fueled by successive dictatorships and failed attempts at effective democratic government. The 2010 earthquake only made economic matters worse as Haiti still struggles to overcome that disaster. Pressed into the fringes of their nation and desperate for a better life, Haitians cross the border to find that they are unwelcome in the Dominican Republic and pressed back into the fringe with the implied fear of deportation. Many are not legal citizens of either country because they are too poor to afford the proper registration paperwork and fall outside what little safety net the governments have to offer. Unwilling to go backward and unable to move forward, the result is thousands of people living along a rural, open border, trapped by the invisible walls of their own poverty and their inability to participate as citizens. They have been marginalized by the governments of both nations and, for all intents and purposes, are people without a country who are invisible and forgotten.

A boy takes a break from repairing his family's home along the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Mud must be reapplied to the walls twice a year to keep out wind and rain.
For decades, Haitians have sought an escape from crippling poverty, political violence and social turmoil fueled by successive dictatorships and failed attempts at effective democratic government. The 2010 earthquake only made economic matters worse as Haiti still struggles to overcome that disaster. Pressed into the fringes of their nation and desperate for a better life, Haitians cross the border to find that they are unwelcome in the Dominican Republic and pressed back into the fringe with the implied fear of deportation. Many are not legal citizens of either country because they are too poor to afford the proper registration paperwork and fall outside what little safety net the governments have to offer. Unwilling to go backward and unable to move forward, the result is thousands of people living along a rural, open border, trapped by the invisible walls of their own poverty and their inability to participate as citizens. They have been marginalized by the governments of both nations and, for all intents and purposes, are people without a country who are invisible and forgotten.

Boys play soccer in the road along the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
For decades, Haitians have sought an escape from crippling poverty, political violence and social turmoil fueled by successive dictatorships and failed attempts at effective democratic government. The 2010 earthquake only made economic matters worse as Haiti still struggles to overcome that disaster. Pressed into the fringes of their nation and desperate for a better life, Haitians cross the border to find that they are unwelcome in the Dominican Republic and pressed back into the fringe with the implied fear of deportation. Many are not legal citizens of either country because they are too poor to afford the proper registration paperwork and fall outside what little safety net the governments have to offer. Unwilling to go backward and unable to move forward, the result is thousands of people living along a rural, open border, trapped by the invisible walls of their own poverty and their inability to participate as citizens. They have been marginalized by the governments of both nations and, for all intents and purposes, are people without a country who are invisible and forgotten.

The border is opened to Haitian vendors twice a week for a large border market in Elas Pia, Dominican Republic. Cross-border trade and cooperation between the two nations are important to the economic and social welfare of border towns such as Elas Pia.

Exhausting Haiti's Forests - Mountain Caravan
A caravan of mules and people take carrots to market in the mountains near Seguin, Haiti. Carrots are one of the most widely planted crops in the region because they can produce two crops a year. This frequent disturbing of the soil encourages erosion in a region that has already been heavily deforested.

Exhausting Haiti's Forests - Robbing the Future
In a protected forest in Seguin, Haiti, a cow seems to be a peaceful sight, but farmers tie their cattle to trees where they eat the underbrush and saplings, robbing the forest of its future. Because much of the surrounding areas have been deforested and overused, subsistence farming and charcoal and lumber production encroach upon the remaining forest, protected or not.

In the center of Cite Soleil, Haiti's largest slum, a relief agency operates a small, tidy school with limited capacity. Those children lucky enough to attend get an education and a meal each day. A fence separates this oasis of learning and nourishment from the slum where residents, such as this young girl, contend with backed up sewage, garbage and rats, never knowing when her next meal is coming.

Twins

In poor countries all over the world, the disabled often languish in the shadows where they are shunned by society, put in institutions, or simply ignored by family who can't afford to care for their special needs. Without a wheelchair or a proper bed, this boy in an El Salvadoran slum lies in the shadows on a dirty couch all day inside his family's cramped apartment.

A young boy, whose growth was stunted by poverty, stares out from his grandmother's shack, where seven children live in tight quarters after they were recently orphaned in Corriverton, Guyana

June Newsletter 2009 (photo not used)

In Baie D'Orange, Haiti, 40 people died of malnutrition in late 2008 after four tropical storms destroyed their crops and the people of the region were still hungry and waiting for help in early 2009.

With his limbs twisted and crippled since birth, Reynaldo Reyes, 15, waits in a Honduran stream for his mother to bathe him after she washes laundry downstream to earn money for the family. Maria Reyes says she pushes Reynaldo with a laundry basket tied to his wheelchair 2 miles over rocky roads and embankments because she fears leaving him home alone. She says of the dog, "That is Reynaldo's best friend. They are together every day, and they are never apart." 2003

Eyes peer warily at a confused elderly woman through the holes in her stick and mud shack in rural Haiti. She has spent most of her life in conditions like these and relatives say she has often been sick.

Although disabled since birth and unable to use his arms, Norris Cumming, 11, of Georgetown, Guyana, attends school and has learned to write with his feet. Here he writes, "My name is Norris Cumming." With the proper attention, training and care, many poor disabled people can lead fulfilling lives.

Guatemala Malnutrition - Eye of Hunger
At 22 months, Maria weighed only 12 1/2 lbs. when she arrived at the Centro Nutricional Sor Lucia Roge in Guatemala City. The nun who runs the malnutrition center gives children hope and a future when other medical professionals have given up on them.

Passers-by - Outside the San Salvador Cathedral, well-dressed parishioners pass by beggers on the steps on their way into evening mass. The poor in El Salvador and other similar countries around the world must rely on foreign assistance, often from the U.S., because they find even their own better-off countrymen unwilling to help.

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