A.K. Kimoto, Japan
Opium for the children
Seven years old and addicted to drugs: Rushanora is smoking heroin together with her dad. The drug numbs the feelings of cold and hunger which are particularly strong during the long and cold local winter. They live in Badakhshan, a remote mountain region in the northeast of Afghanistan. The country is known to be the largest producer of opium and in some parts of Badakhshan, almost 70% of the population is addicted to the drug.
7-month-old Qurban was born an opium addict. His face looks like the one of an old man. He is given a steady dose through the milk of his addicted mother.
Curriculum Vitae: A.K. Kimoto
A.K. Kimoto is a Japanese photographer currently based out of Bangkok.
After a successful career in the I.T. sector, A.K. decided to pursue his passion for travel and photography by moving to South-East Asia. Shortly after his arrival in Indonesia, a strong earthquake and tsunami devastated the Sumatran coastline around Aceh and a few days later he accepted his first assignment to cover this tragic story.
Over the following years, A.K. worked with various international NGOs to document the recovery efforts in Aceh, and on many social issues in the region.
His most recent work focuses on the lives of Afghans who try to lead a normal existence while conflict and violence threaten their survival
ak(at)spiderandflies.com