AID PROJECTS
While studying medicine, I spent some highly rewarding months volunteering in hospitals in Peru and Sri Lanka, where – far off the beaten track – I could experience people’s way of life first hand and gather innumerable new impressions. Back home, I found that I really wanted to give something back to the people in those countries: Both to the doctors who had shared their knowledge with me, the patients who often left me speechless with their gratitude and humility, and so many other exceptional people I met on the way – be it a tireless UN official, a humble fisherman, and a cordial spice vendor in Sri Lanka, or a kind nun and a genial hiking guide in Peru. All of them had made their mark on my life. I found my way of giving back through photography, and started to make my work accessible to a wider public in several exhibitions. In that way, I was able to raise funds for aid projects in the countries I had visited, and hopefully also to give the visitors a glimpse into rich foreign cultures and customs, and maybe even a delicate connection with impressive people and life stories all over the world. Currently, I am employed as an orthopedic and trauma surgeon in the beautiful town of Bamberg. As part of my work, I am very lucky to be given the opportunity visit Laos for several weeks each year to work as a volunteer surgeon for the Children’s and Medical Aid Laos project. Close ties with this incredible country have resulted from these missions, which means very much to me.
Watch the award winning documentary by filmmaker and photographer Kilian Reil about the medical aid work of “Kinder- und Medizinhilfe Laos”. Soon there will be a new version with exclusive drone footage by myself.
