All the islands, as opposed to the continental areas, have something in common regardless of where they are: an enormous mass of water marks its borders unequivocally, isolating them from their neighbors. In the Faroe Islands all its inhabitants perceive the disproportionate contrast between land and water; generating a feeling of belonging to a limited universe, detached from the rest of the world. In essence, the Faroese face two options: stay in their homeland, and accept what that entails (traditions), or leave in search of new opportunities. The final choice of the Faroese, therefore, is existential. Those who endure, proudly, the isolation, or on the other hand, those who decide to leave, changing completely his lifestyle. This vital decision structures, nowadays, the Faroese society: the dilemma between reaffirming oneself in their traditions or opening up to the world.

The Gambo Hospital is a healthcare centre located in the southern part of Ethiopia’s Oromiya region. Its location helps decentralise and extend medical services within the country to those living in this isolated, rural area. Many living in the Oromiya region cannot travel to big cities to seek medical assistance due to extreme poverty and the poor state of the roads. It is the only health centre in operation within the district of Kore and serves roughly 250 patients per day. And with just three doctors, the hospital is critically understaffed. I aim to show the fragile balance between life and death in an unflinching yet intimate way. This work will also be coloured by the strong personal links formed between myself, the dedicated professionals and the patients inside its walls – culminating in a shared experience of human joy, pain and the struggle for survival.