Sometimes I name my photographs or the photograph names itself. “Pain” is the name of this one. She was a pregnant woman. She was in so much pain that she couldn’t move her head or smile to pose. Her husband, who was sitting next to her, asked me to take her picture. He said the baby was surrounded with bad spirits and making the mother sick. And unfortunately, there was not a single doctor who could chase the bad spirit away.

According to IRIN News on 11 November 2007, in developed countries, on average there are fewer than 10 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births. In Sierra Leone, the rate is nearly 200 times higher. A Sierra Leonean woman has a one in six chance of dying while giving birth. Knowing the dangers of pregnancy and childbirth does not seem to influence these terrifying statistics.