About

How can social justice be achieved in developing countries when those who need it most are not given a voice? Born into impoverished communities and seemingly hopeless situations, many individuals struggle without an advocate. From expectant mothers with poor prenatal care, to children who are sick and orphaned by the AIDS virus, to the small farmer attempting to plant in a season of drought, these human beings all fear in silence the problems that each day may bring.

The first step in helping these individuals is in building awareness, projecting a compassionate voice that communicates without condescension across language and culture the emotional stories of these lives. For the past seven years Jake Lyell has been using the lens to give us an honest look at the lives of underrepresented individuals around the globe. Since receiving a BFA in Still Photography from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2003, Jake has filmed and photographed in over thirty different countries for non-profit groups and editorial publications concerned with relief, development, aid, and human rights.

Jake is based between Kampala, Uganda and Kilimanjaro, Tanzania and works globally. East Africa has been his home for the past four years and he has full press credentials in Kenya and Uganda. Though not yet fluent, he’s learned a good bit of Swahili along the way. Some recent clients include UNICEF, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PSI, BRAC, ActionAid, Mercy Corps, Heifer International, ChildFund, Baptist World Aid Australia, WaterAid, Computers 4 Africa, Catholic Relief Services, Plant With Purpose, the Uganda Women’s Health Initiative, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and Every Mother Counts. Editorial clients include the Guardian, Corbis, BBC, Cnn.com, Conde Nast, the Times London, Elsevier Global Medical News, Marie Claire Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, and Harper’s Bazaar.