Description:

Miriam Rachael

This is a portrait I have wanted to paint since my daughter’s last trip to Pakistan 2016. I finally chose it as the subject matter for a KIA class assignment this year (2022),

The photograph that inspired the painting was taken by the award-winning Pakistani photographer, Khaula Jamil from Karachi. She was a member of the production crew, hired by my daughter, Miriam, documenting the 2016 Rotary Internatiinal polio eradication campaign.

I had Miriam’s boys with me while she was there. I was still teaching at the Kazoo School in Kalamazoo. At about 7:30 a.m. Miraim texted me from Karachi saying that 7 of the police officers guarding their operation crew during their morning production had just been shot and were on their way to hospital and the production crew and polio vaccination workers were being whisked away to their hotel room where they were to await further instructions. The police officers died. She said, “Don’t Worry Mom. Tell the boys I love them.” I did not hear from her again for two agonizing days. But she arrived home safe. Before leaving Pakistan, the team took a day to decompress. Khaula took this photo of Miriam in a Pakistani tribal headdress called in Urdu “maatha patti’” which literally translates just as “forehead band.”

Here’s the news article concerning the events the day prior to this photo being taken https://amp.theguardian.com/…/pakistani-taliban-kill…

This is the campaign they were working on. This video explains the dangers they face and why the Taliban has targeted these campaigns.

And this is the production Miriam’s crew was able to produce for Rotary International, despite the obstacles.