Celebrating Ceylon through photography
WFP staff member captures the beauty of Sri Lanka through his camera lens
Nguyen Duc Hoang, the World Food Programme’s former Deputy Country Director in Sri Lanka has spent the last four years photographing the beauty of this island nation.
Hoang’s passion for photography began when he was a child, and has become a way of capturing the people he has met and places he has visited through his work with WFP.
“I remember a time when my father and I did photography together, at a time when digital facilities were not available. My father created a darkroom that in the 1960s was a workshop used by photographers who worked with photographic film to process and print the light-sensitive materials. This is where my passion for photography began,” said Hoang.
While working with WFP in Sri Lanka, Hoang’s role took him around the country, where he supported families to improve their food security, nutrition worked on emergency responses. While on mission, he spent his spare time capturing valuable photographs for WFP and exploring the country, learning about the culture and meeting new people.
“Sri Lanka was my inspiration to practice photography and it allowed me to portray the peace, prosperity and plight of the island through photographs,” he said.
Recognizing the plight of the patients in the Maharagama Cancer Hospital in Sri Lanka, Hoang was inspired to make a difference. He made a decision to raise money to support the hospital and the patients who were undergoing medical treatment.
For the first time, Hoang organized a photography exhibition called ‘Strength and Splendour’ in April 2019. His aim was to portray Sri Lanka from a different angle and hoped that this passion and love for the country is evident in the photos he took to support the hospital.
The exhibition — held in collaboration with the Welfare Society of the Ministry of Public Administration and Disaster Management, is an entity that WFP has been supporting to equip and strengthen the emergency preparedness and response efforts. Development partners, high-level government officials, ambassadors, private sector and the public, together raised USD $560 for the Maharagama Cancer Hospital.
The staff in WFP’s Sri Lanka office wish our mentor all the best in his future endeavours. We are grateful for all that he has taught us and hope to continue to adhere to his standards and professionalism.
Read more about Hoang’s work in the Daily News and The Sunday Times.
Read more about WFP’s work in Sri Lanka.
