"Porters of the Sacred Water"
Location: Accra, Ghana
Date: July 2022
Photographer: Ishmael Konney
Ohio State Affiliation: Graduate Student
Home Country: Ghana
Category: People
Award: Honorable Mention
2022 International Photography Exhibition
Description: "To commence the celebration of the La Homowo festival, there are a series of rituals that are performed and one is the cleansing of the King's stool with the sacred water from the ancient stream that still flows. The water is put in a white pot and carried by these children. At the time of taking the picture, the children were resting as their pots were being filled with the sacred water so they carry it back to town, walking a distance of 2 miles. They used the padded leaves as head support to carry the pots. This picture is meaningful to me because I am researching on the history of the La people and also because this picture shows the children in the regular/natural state before they get into a trance once they carry the pots. The children uncontrollably get into a trance at different times because they carry the spirits in the sacred stream."