Miami Lakes resident Kathryn Sotolongo is embarking on a year-long endeavor with the organization Mercy Ships, which travels along the coast of Africa to provide free medical aid. Sotolongo will attend training in Texas for a month before moving on to an HIV camp in Africa for two weeks and finally board the ship while it’s docked in Benin, Africa for 10 months.
Sotolongo, a graduate of the University of Miami for Electronic Media and International Relations, is a seasoned photographer with a passion for humanitarian work. She first heard of Mercy Ships from Scott Harrison, the founder of the non-profit Charity Water, and how his work on the ship changed his life.
“I hope to capture as many stories as possible and to witness lives changing,” said Sotolongo. “I will be following the patients and their procedures to tell people’s stories though photography and film.”
As part of the requirements for joining Mercy Ships as a volunteer, Sotolongo will be paying her own way for room and board on the ship for which she has started a fundraiser found online at http://mercyships-us.donorpages.com/crewmates/KathrynSotolongo/.
The college graduate departs on June 3 with the organization.