TITLE: Kenyan school girl

This photo was taken in January 2019, it was the first day at school after the Christmas holidays. In many places when Christmas holidays are over, girls are back to their homework routines, classes, and perhaps midterm exams. In some Kenyan villages, girls aged between 9-17 years old returning to school after the Christmas break means that they will be subjected to pregnancy tests and examined for female genital mutilation – FGM – by trained medical professionals in local schools and clinics. The tests have been put in place as many girls are forced to undergo FGM during the Christmas vacation, and pregnancies following it are not uncommon.

AUTHOR: Maria Tomas-Rodriguez (United Kingdom)

I have been an amateur photographer for 10 years. My work is mainly focus in black and white documentary and travel photography. I do travel regularly to Africa for charity purposes and I sue this opportunities to take pictures and document various social topics.

I work as a senior lecturer in engineering at the United Kingdom University and I am a keen kitesurfer, which also allows me to take photographs on various water sport events.