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Out of Africa

Advocate cover subjects John August and Ryan Reynolds traveled to Africa to help build an orphanage in Malawi. August took these candid shots of their journey.
An Advocate.com exclusive posted August 10, 2007
Out of Africa

The day after we recorded our interview for The Advocate, Ryan Reynolds and I flew to Malawi—a land-locked country in southern Africa. A former British colony, it is now one of the poorest nations on earth. It’s been especially hard-hit by HIV/AIDS, losing a huge portion of its 20- to 40-year olds. Young parents, especially. It’s now a nation of children and old people.

Friends of Mulanje Orphans (FOMO) runs 10 centers, providing services to 4,000 orphans. Ryan and I visited to help repair and repaint the Gulumba Centre and to meet the kids who are doing remarkably well in remarkably difficult circumstances.

Malawi 01 | Advocate.com
Photo-op The man in the suit is head of tourism for Mulanje. Man, I don't envy his job.

Malawi 02 | Advocate.com
Gulumba Center Four rooms. No water, no power. Feeds 300 orphans a day.

Malawi 03 | Advocate.com
Tough guy I tripped while chasing an orphan. Seriously. The red dirt roads really do feel like bricks when you hit them.

Malawi 04 | Advocate.com
Blue plate special The danger of having a white guy in a shot with a bunch of smiling African orphans is that it implies he brought them the food. He didn't--not directly, and not through any international aid program. The kids are eating because of a local, self-directed program.

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You can learn more information about the FOMO program at http:// www.fomo.co.uk. August runs a Web site to help aspiring writers, www.johnaugust.com. See more photos on Flicker.com.

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