I have been covering all kinds of cooperation projects in more than 20 countries for ten years and I would never have thought that one day I would record this situation in my city” acknowledges the photographer, documentary filmmaker and journalist Alberto Pla on his Instagram profile.
Al hacer scroll en este perfil, observamos de manera gráfica que es así exactamente. Las imágenes y vídeos pertenecientes a proyectos de cooperación al desarrollo o de viajes a países de África, Asia o América Latina, se ven bruscamente interrumpidas por las impactantes fotografías con las que Alberto está compartiendo la situación en la que han quedado varios de los municipios que la terrible DANA ha cubierto de barro a su paso por Valencia.
Scrolling through this profile, we can see in a graphic way that this is exactly the case. The images and videos belonging to development cooperation projects or trips to countries in Africa, Asia or Latin America are abruptly interrupted by the shocking photographs with which Alberto is sharing the situation in which several of the municipalities have been left that the terrible DANA has covered in mud as it passed through Valencia.
On this occasion, Alberto did not need to undertake a long journey to portray a reality that is far away from our own. Just a few kilometers from Valencia, his hometown and residence, are Massanassa, Alfafar, Utiel, Paiporta, or Benetusser, the new settings that he now also photographs to give visibility to the disaster and a human face and voice to the tragedy.
Alberto’s work in the field of cooperation is well known and recognized, as he heads the social communication agency that bears his name (Alberto Pla Comunicación). In fact, from our Foundation we work closely with this agency in the development of communication and dissemination campaigns for the projects we develop. Last year, we had the opportunity to tell the story of the Bolivian girl Jacinta together, within the framework of a project we developed with APEP and the Generalitat Valenciana.
In addition, we will soon jointly present a documentary related to the Project we are developing in Guatemala with FUDI and the Generalitat Valenciana to support the Kakchiquel population in Joya Grande in their access to healthy food.
But now, what we have to do is join Alberto and, together with all the NGOs and volunteers who are working in Valencia, continue working to support the many affected people so that they can recover their normal lives as soon as possible and to try to give them hope.