How do you photograph 6 lovely teenagers in a manner that ties the image to a message which is greater then the sum of its parts? Easy, find the perfect tree and throw in the Swahili word for underwear: chupi. I'm fairly certain those of us raised in the western world would agree the word underwear is a non-issue. If mentioned in Swahili, however, it quite literally cracks up the kids and makes me laugh alongside them.
I've had my clothes cleaned by local ground workers at Jane Goodall's house for 7 bucks a bundle. They seemingly are happy to hand-wash a load of my dirty clothes; everything but my underwear. Don't get me wrong, I don't suffer from interesting hygiene issues or fashion concerns, it's simply a case that the culture refuses to acknowledge that undergarments exist, or deem it in any way acceptable to discuss. But, wow, it works wonders when photographing the children!
Funny stuff, just saying.