On my last day in Cape Town, South Africa my alarm chimed at 5 AM. For me, being up at such an early hour would usually mean a trip to the airport to visit my clients in D.C. or Boston, but today was different - in the best possible way. Today was the day that I would meet and interview the esteemed Bishop Tutu.

It was a huge honor to share space with Bishop Tutu, who is an inspiring and beloved religious figure. He has a powerful charisma and infectious sense of humor that is matched only by his intelligence and genuine caring for other human beings.

The scope of achievements Bishop Tutu has accomplished during his lifetime are too numerous to mention, however I wanted to briefly touch on a couple of the most notable roles he’s played:

• He is the recipient of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to the liberation struggle in 1978, when he became the first black secretary of the South African Council of Churches. As a dynamic leader of this council, Desmond Tutu’s goal was for “a democratic and just society without racial segregation.”

• Following the 1976 Soweto protests, during which Hector Peterson F.E.T. School’s namesake was killed, there was a country-wide uprising against apartheid. It’s from this point on that Bishop Tutu became a supporter of the economic boycott of his country, which played a significant part in dismantling the apartheid regime.

• As the moral conscience of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, described Tutu as “sometimes strident, often tender, never afraid and seldom without humor. Desmond Tutu’s voice will always be the voice of the voiceless.”

Our meeting with Bishop Tutu began with a private service at the St. Georges Cathedral, which is located in the central business district in Cape Town. Being Anglican, but perhaps not attending church as much as I should, it was interesting to compare and contrast the services from my native home of Australia. The service was relatively informal and the advent of humor was somewhat refreshing compared with the more traditional services I am accustomed to.

While you might think that it would be intimidating to meet Bishop Tutu, I found him to be very down to earth and approachable. After the church service, we headed to his favorite local cafe for breakfast and a well-earned coffee. It was then onto the interview.

I will always remember Tutu’s accessibility and willingness to be a part of the cause to help raise awareness of the Bridges to Understanding charity. He responded to my questions with insight that demonstrated a solid understanding of the issues with education and impoverished communities within South Africa.

At the conclusion of the interview, Bishop Tutu, who is somewhat shorter than I am, leaned up and whispered in my ear, “Now, I must go. Thank you for helping South Africa.”

With a wave from his bodyguard to signal the need to continue moving, we said our goodbyes and he walked off to his waiting vehicle.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

We visited the Methodist Church of Southern Africa to attend a service that Parishner Bram had organized.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

The church itself is relatively dilapidated, which is similiar to the condition that you find most structures in the settlement. There are large holes in the walls and ceiling and a lack of chairs for anyone to sit.

Due to the strength of the Christian faith in the Wallacedene settlement,  worshippers are not deterred from attending. Every Sunday, the four hour long service is packed with individuals from the local community.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

The atmosphere of the church is something to be experienced and difficult to describe through words. The only way to truly experience it is to hear it for yourself:

 

 Sunday Services [1:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I hope you’ll be as moved as we were.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

It’s certainly been a whirlwind tour thus far at the informal Wallacedene settlement in Cape Town, South Africa.

The settlement is located near the heart of the picturesque wine country, but the shanty village of Wallacedene is far from the glowing beauty of its close neighbors. When you enter the community of Wallacedene, the poverty is immediately apparant. Stray, malnourished dogs wander the streets in search of food while children play amongst the rubbish that is littered throughout the streets.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

It’s these conditions that led to the topic of our digital story, “Environmental Hazards,” which highlights the impact pollution is having on the health of the children in the Wallacedene settlement.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

Mothusi Mokhalimetso, one of the brightest learners at the school, was a victim of the squalid way of life in his community, contracting and almost dying from tuberculosis (TB). TB is a common and often deadly infectious disease that usually attacks the lungs. Typical symptoms include chronic coughing with blood tinged mucas, fever, night sweats and weight loss. The disease is spread through the air, and due to the close living proximity of residents in these villages, sick residents are often treated as outcasts.

One of the lucky few to survive, Mothusi is now sharing his story as part of the Bridges to Understanding workshop experience.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images - Mothusi Mokhalimetso is ready to share his story.

Unfortunately, TB is not the only killer in the Wallacedene settlement, around 60% of people in the settlement have AIDS, some of which even contracting it from birth.

Luthando Home Care Center takes in HIV infected and affected orphans and toddlers that are vulnerable to this disease. They provide them with food, shelter and access to social grants, particularly for those orphans who have no family to care for them.

Here I am with several of the orphans…

The children are incredibly affectionate, they want to cuddle you, be held close, climb all over you and play with your camera equipment. They are so little and cute, but in the back of your mind, you know this is the case because many have grown up malnourished and their growth has been stunted.

In spite of their struggles, in spite of the disease, dirty water and lack of sewage systems and sanitation, the people in Wallacedene remain upbeat. Their song and culture is what seems to keep them going, and they take each day as it comes.

Catherine Parker/Getty Images

A student at Bridge’s South African workshop last year…

Catherine Parker, a market development manager for footage and music at Getty Images, is on her way to Cape Town, South Africa to participate in a 10-day mentoring workshop with Bridges to Understanding.

Catherine will be working at the iconic Hector Peterson secondary school which is named after a 12-year-old boy who was photographed during the 1976 Soweto student uprising. Despite the lack of running water or electricity in their remote community, Hector Pieterson students consistently outperform their peers, exceeding national average grades against all of the odds.

These students will soon be treated to photography lessons from Bridges to Understanding as they learn how to create digital stories of their lives. These stories will not only become keep sakes for the students, but they will also be used to raise awareness and educate the youth of South Africa.

As the second of four Getty Images employees to win trips to Bridges workshops this year, Catherine will be reporting on her adventures on the Getty Images Creative blog.

Picture by Chris Scott

The deadline is here - today is the day of the kids digital story screening. With the narratives finalized, photos taken and sound effects recorded, it is now time to put it all together. We (my fellow volunteers and I) have been busy putting on the finishing touches while taking frequent breaks to warm up by the fire (it’s surprisingly hard to type with blocks of ice for hands).

While sorting through the photos the kids have taken, I am surprised by what they have achieved in such a short amount of time. Apart from the many technical aspects they have picked up and demonstrated, they have managed to capture a huge amount of emotion and depth in every frame. The speed in which they have learned these techniques, and the quality of the pictures they have taken, has shown me how powerful imagery can be when communicating across language barriers. Considering my limited Spanish skills, I found this particularly enlightening.

Some pictures created by the students:

Picture by Johan Anthony Quispe

Picture by Ryker Labbee

Many times throughout this experience I found myself looking (unsuccessfully) for the right Spanish words to get my point across. I depended heavily on exaggerated gestures and a lot of demonstrations to communicate.

If all else failed, the kids and I turned to the universal language of football. This turned out to be pure comedy to the kids as I was terribly unfit. I still maintain it was the altitude’s effect on my respiratory system, and they just laughed as they danced around me like fireflies.

We finished the videos in the nick of time and everything was ready for the screening. There was a large turnout of pupils, parents and teachers who were all very eager to see what we’d been up to. The kids proudly presented their pieces to the audience who warmly received them. Even the kids that had been quiet and shy throughout the workshops said their bit, clearly and eloquently.

More pictures from the students:

Picture by Sally Sefami

Picture by Nathaly Rebeca Cacer

Picture by Karen Doolittle

It was a great night which quickly became very sad when we realized it had all come to an end. But with regards to Bridges to Understanding, this is just the beginning. Now the school is up and running making digital stories, they have access to all other schools around the world, and hopefully, the discourse will go from strength to strength.

On the last night (very, very late), I found myself racing through the streets of Lima. I have minutes to make my flight home and the traffic conditions are the usual chaotic sprawl of weaving cars and blaring horns. As I gaze out the taxi window, it feels like just yesterday that I landed in Peru. I can’t believe how quickly it has all gone. However, if you think about all the people that I met and everything we have achieved through Bridges, if feels a lot more tenable.

Suddenly I am thrust back into reality and literally into the airport check-in desk. Before I knew it I was running to catch my flight and on the plane headed home…

Photo by Chris Scott

It’s 4 AM, humid and dark in the town of Aguas Calientes at the foot of Machu Picchu, the hidden city of the Incas. The small town is nested in the narrow, cloudy forest valley for the sole purpose of tourism for Machu Picchu, which gives it an odd, unreal quality for a town.

We took a train to get here that hugged the Urubamba River until we were surrounded on all sides by towering mountains. It’s very claustrophobic being enclosed like this and I’m excited to escape in the only direction we can go - up.

We take a bus up the mountain, zig-zagging extremely close to the unguarded edge and a perilous plunge. It’s still very early and my half closed eyes allow me to ignore the obvious danger.

Photo by Chris Scott

The sun has not climbed high enough to peek over the surrounding peaks but the sky is lightening and I catch my first glimpse of Machu Picchu. It is everything the books and stories promised. A city on top of the world, beautifully reconstructed and awe-inspiring with respect to it’s conception. To think such architectural, astronomical and agricultural feats were accomplished in the first place is incredible but when you marvel at the location, it is truly wonderful.

Photo by Chris Scott

When the sun finally rises over the mountain, it is a dramatic moment. You can understand why the Incas worshipped the sun and based much of their religion and life around its movements. It’s stunning to see the first rays illuminate the high peaks of Machu Piccu and then slowly rise to reveal the remaining ruins.

There have been many photographs of Machu Picchu over the years, and I wasn’t going to be the only one not to take the ubiquitous shot of the ruins and the peak of Wayna Picchu looming in the background. It was then that I heard you could climb this mountain. It looked impossible, but at closer inspection the Incas had built steep winding steps and paths winding their way up the rock. The climb was strenuous and dangerous at point. Most paths were on the very edge of a thousand foot drops. The lack of barriers and lack of legal protection in case of an injury, caused me to climb very slowly.

Photo by Chris Scott

We realized the actual danger of the climb when we came across a lucky hiker. She fell about 20 ft, stopping her fall by grabbing some branches. Had she fallen any further she would have plunged all the way to the valley floor. She walked away okay, just scratched and shaken. After we talked with her, I embraced the mountain with every bit of energy I could. I hugged each rock like we were the best of friends, surely the mountain couldn’t expel such a devotee.

At the summit the view was spectacular. You could see the entire city of Machu Picchu. Wayna Picchu was the last stronghold of Machu Picchu and would be used in case of attack. It has verticle cliff faces that would make it impossible for an invading army to climb. What I found even more amazing was that there were structures crowning this mountain. There were terraces for farming, houses and temples that were actually built on the cliffs. I could barely carry my camera bag, let alone construction equipment. How did they do that?

Photo by Chris Scott

We left Machu Picchu on foot, leaving the buses and walking down the path to the valley floor. On the way down we befriended a stray dog, something that I have discovered Peru is not short on. This one was friendly and joined us for the descent. I named him Picchu. Eventually we reached the bottom and walked along a dusty road used by buses. I was alarmed at the way Picchu would wait until the last minute to leap out of the way of oncoming buses. He would barely miss getting squashed by inches, much to his annoyance. He would chase the giant metal beast, barking like a wild animal. Luckily, the bus could outrun the animal (I would hate to see what happened if Picchu actually caught up). Picchu returned to our side, proud and placid as ever, as if nothing had happened.

We continued walking along the road (with Picchu walking in the middle). We could hear another bus coming and sure enough, the same scene played out. Picchu almost was hit and he rebounded by barking, growling and chasing the evil bus down the street. This happened several more times until we made it home. I can only imagine how exhausted Picchu was after that 30 minute walk, protecting the tourists from the evil metal beasts.

Photo by Chris Scott 

Although Cusco is unique city with many incredible sights and people, the presence of tourism makes some interactions awkward. The women and children that wear traditional dress and lead llamas through the street are very eager to pose for photographs, but ask for a fee to do so. This seems like a perfectly fair exchange, but reduces the feeling of authenticity. Tourism has become big business in Cusco so it is understandable that people aggressively sell handicrafts, food and photos to you at every occasion. The worst case is when the children are very small and are doing this instead of going to school.

To see another side of Peru we drove through the mountains out to a small village community called Chinchero. On arrival we were warmly welcomed into the house of Paulino and Vilma. He runs a runs a local orphanage for girls and also supports the local trade of weaving, giving demonstrations of the incredibly skilled process of making their fabric.

Photo by Chris Scott 

I walked around the village square where locals sit with their spreads of brightly colored blankets, scarf’s and hats. The first thing I noticed was that there were many small children, who climb, roll, fight and run their way around the market.

Paulino gave a demonstration of the traditional weaving process. It began with the use of a detergent to clean the discolored wool. He grated a white root into water and mixed it up. After submerging the wool and scrubbing it for a few minutes the wool comes out bright white.

Every step of the process uses natural products , from leaves , flowers , corn and beetles. It’s incredible the amount of different colors that can be made from these ingredients.

This was a great opportunity for the kids to record audio and take pictures. My buddy Rey was recording ambient sound of the many processes. He went up to the women weaving and thrust his microphone towards the weaving loom. Her hands silently whipped back and forth, not making a sound. This was not a problem for Rey who decided to pick up a piece of wood and knock it against her loom to create his desired sound, if not quite the accurate sound of weaving.

Photo by Chris Scott 

We then drove further out to a very small village that rarely experienced tourists. The contrast to Cusco was dramatic and felt very honest. Women and men went about their work ignoring our presence unless we spoke to them. It was sunset and they were bringing back the harvest of grasses from the fields. From a distance it looked like the grass had spouted legs and was walking it’s self back to the village. The huge bundles of grass completely engulfed the men as they leisurely ambled along followed by donkeys and cows. We gathered in the square and chatted to the local women. They enjoyed speaking to us about their homes and family as their tiny kids ran about mischievously in the kicked up dusty haze.

Photo by Chris Scott

Photo by Chris Scott

Living at 10,000 feet is proving difficult but it is these challenges and quirks which are making the experience so unique.

It’s winter here in Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas. Each morning I emerge from my alpaca blanket cocoon and the bitter cold hits me. My breath is clearly visible, the sun is out but the mountains are still shading me from its warmth. The sky is pure blue and there is not a cloud in the sky. In the shade it remains bitterly cold during the day but in direct sunlight it is unforgiving, my lobster red face can contest to this.

Apart from the extreme temperatures, altitude is a constant consideration. Until my body finally adapted to the low oxygen levels, I really had to take it easy. Walking is much harder, especially up hill. I was even finding myself out of breath towel drying my hair.

Apart from hindering my ascent to the many mountainous locations, which includes my hotel, you can become very ill. Already two members of our group have suffered acute altitude sickness. Symptoms include: headaches, vomiting, disorientation and if you don’t descend - death. I have managed to avoid most of these symptoms so far but sadly one of our members has had to fly back to Lima.

Photo by Chris Scott

Between surviving, we have been working with a local school. We are helping the students tell personal stories about their culture using digital media. We met the students for the first time today. It’s a real mixed group of ages, backgrounds and personalities. One small boy called Darwin impresses everyone in the first few minutes by reciting all 30 peoples names and favorite fruit as part of a name game. I proved less adept when it came to my turn. My memory is bad at the best of times, but reciting the whole thing in Spanish proved extra difficult as I’m still mastering hello and goodbye. There is no better way to learn a language than being thrown in at the deep end so I’m hoping to be at least fluent by the end. Until then, me and my assigned student Rey, are communicating through exaggerated gestures and a lot of pointing. The funny thing is, it’s working.

We began with a portrait lesson to get the students used to the cameras and principles of photography. We were taken to a historical Incan site of Sacsayhouman. Up on the mountain overlooking Cusco are the formidable Incan walls. The size and constructions is awe-inspiring, especially considering they have withstood centauries of earthquakes where the newer Spanish architecture has crumbled.

Photo by Chris Scott

If you want to break the ice with a new group of people and everyone is a little shy, simply introduce a slide. Nearby a natural formation of rocks that were perfectly smooth provided the perfect way to loosen up and a fantastic photo opportunity.

Photo by Chris Scott

When we finally dragged ourselves away to peruse the remaining ruins, we’re all friends and the photos being produced are amazing. The students demonstrated an amazing grasp of all the lessons and tips we gave them on lighting, angles and composition to produce some fantastic images, and that’s just in one morning’s work.

Getty Images employee Chris Scott in Peru

Chris Scott, a multimedia producer in the Getty Images London office, caught a plane today to Cusco, Peru where he will be mentoring at a Bridges to Understanding workshop.

Chris was one of four Getty Images employees that won an essay contest (open to employees only) with a grand prize of mentoring at a Bridges to Understanding workshop of their choice. The additional winners from the New York, Seattle and Sydney offices will be attending workshops in India, Guatemala and South Africa later this summer.

As a multimedia producer, Chris combines imagery with audio and footage to tell stories, share experiences and entertain. While in Peru, Chris will create a video diary of his workshop experience utilizing his multimedia talents. These videos will be hosted on the Getty Images blog so make sure you check back here to see what he has been up to.