Photos

Anyone who has travelled to the Middle East or Northern Africa has an understanding of the social function of the 'chai' lady.

In Sudan every corner of every street has such a woman, who runs an outdoor stall. It's no more than a charcoal stove (usually recycled from a tinbox), a kettle, some teas and spices, a jar of sugar and in the morning coffee. They live from hand to mouth - if a chai lady is luck she makes enough each day to replenish her supplies and feed herself and her family. It is subsistance.

This picture is taken on the site where we are building a new school. We have about 200 workers there at the moment. They live on site in shelters made of cloth and cane - their wives or mothers have chai shops. In a year from now this view will be very different. In its place will be a school for 500 pupils with incredible facilities (as good as any in Africa or Europe). The chai lady will have movedon to her next job.

The least observant of you will see this is stitched from two 'portrait' shots - I had no wide angle facility so I cheated.