Lindsay Kennedy

Romanian photo story: A Hidden Destiny. Ramona Lunca, 18, and Ioan Barabas, 21, live together with their two small children, Alexandra and Alexandru, in a one room mud house in the small village of Boiu, Romania. Like so many other Roma people, their lives are simple, yet governed by countless complex stereotypes that were formed long before they entered this world. Therein lies the unfairness of life. We cannot choose the heritage we are born into, yet this is the framework in which the world responds to us. I was drawn to this particular family because once I looked beyond the cracked mud walls and into their eyes, I got the unmistakable sense that they were meant for something more. There was a sort of regal spirit in them that spoke of a destiny beyond the borders of Boiu, a destiny that perhaps they aren’t even dreaming for themselves. Yet, showhow, the world will miss out on something if they aren’t.