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YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE WORK OF JOHN ROW ON THE PAGES OF VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. >> >>: I LOVE PEOPLE AND I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHIC
PEOPLE, AND CULTURE, AND I THINK IT'S SO FASCINATING. >> >>DWANE: HE'S LIVED IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY
FOR 25 YEARS AND WAS ONCE A PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE NAVY, BUT HE'S NOW ON ANOTHER MISSION
IN ONE OF THE MOST ISOLATED AREAS IN SOUTH EAST ETHIOPIA WHERE DROUGHT AND FAMINE ARE
BELIEVED TO BE A CURSE BROUGHT ON BY CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WED LOCK, BORN A TWIN, OR SIMPLY
HAVING A CHIPPED TOOTH. >> >>: WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PLACE IN AFRICA
THAT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CALLS THE LAST FRONTIER. >> >>DWANE: MUCH OF THE AREA REMAINS TRIBAL
AND IS WITHOUT CLEAN WATER. ELECTRICITY TIE OR MEDICAL CARE.
ABOUT 200,000 ETHIOPIANS CALL THIS HOPE. >> >>: THEA DON'T HAVE AN EDUCATION, THEY
DON'T HAVE A WRITTEN LANGUAGE. TRY TO EXPLAIN DROUGHT, FAMINE, SICKNESS,
DEATH, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO KNOW. THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION.
>> >>DWANE: FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, THIS CULTURE KNOWN FOR ITS BODY ADORNMENT HAVE BEEN SACRIFICING
CHILDREN FOR THE GOOD OF THE ENTIRE TRIBE. >> >>: WHEN I HEARD THAT THERE ARE WERE CHILDREN
DYING, AND BEING KILLED, AND WE COULD PREVENT THAT JUST ONE IF YOU CAN SAVE ONE LIFE IN
YOUR LIFE THAT'S QUITE AN ACHIEVEMENT. >> >>DWANE: ROW WAS ON ASSIGNMENT IN THE OMO
VALLEY WHEN HIS GUIDE AND NOW FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE TOLD HIM HE LOST TWO SISTERS TO THE RITUAL
AND VOWED TO STOP THE KILLING. >> >>: HE TOLD THEM, LOOK, OUR GENERATIONĀ
HE'S 30 YEARS OLDĀ THE NEW, YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE THE ELDERS, WE ARE GOING
TO CHANGE THIS FOR SURE. >> >>DWANE: OMO CHILD HAS RESCUED THIRTY SEVEN
CHILDREN AND THEY LIVE TOGETHER IN A SAFE BUT SMALL HOME.
BUT THE CHALLENGE IS FAR FROM OVER. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 50,000 HAMMER PEOPLE WHO
STILL PRACTICE INFANTICIDE, ROW, AND LOLLY ARE STILL WORKING TO CONVINCE THEM.
>> >>: TO BE ABLE TO IMPACT MANY LIVES WHETHER IT'S HERE IN SAN DIEGO, WHETHER IT'S IN AFRICA,
WHEREVER IT IS IN THE WORLD, AS AN AMERICAN, AS A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN BLESSED, YOU CAN'T
IGNORE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE BACK.