Dan Eldon
| Dan Eldon | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Daniel Robert Eldon 18 September 1970 Hampstead, London, England, UK |
| Died | 12 July 1993 (aged 22) Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Occupation | Journalist, artist, activist |
Daniel Robert "Dan" Eldon (18 September 1970 – 12 July 1993) was a Kenyanphotojournalist, artist and activist. He and three colleagues were stoned to death in Mogadishu in an incident before the Battle of Mogadishu. He left behind a series of journals, which Chronicle Books have used to publish three books, "The Journey is the Destination", "Dan Eldon, the Art of Life" and "Safari as a Way of Life".
Eldon was born in London, on 17 September 1970, the son of Kathy and Mike Eldon. Mike was a British citizen of Romanian Jewish descent, and his American mother was Protestant. When Dan was seven years old, Eldon and his three-year-old sister Amy moved to Nairobi, Kenya with their parents. The couple later divorced; Mike Eldon is now married to a Kenyan woman, Evelyn Mungai (Transparency International, Kenya)
In Kenya, Dan Eldon attended a British school, but soon convinced his parents to transfer him to the International School of Kenya, which included children representing over 40 nationalities.
In 1982, an attempted coup in Kenya put Eldon and his family in the midst of political upheaval. Eldon, age 12, arrived several days after the coup and experienced some of its aftermath. In his teens, Eldon joined his mother, Kathy, a free-lance journalist for the English-language newspaper, the Nation, in Kenya. Soon Eldon was taking pictures, which featured in local newspapers and magazines.
At fourteen, Eldon started a fund-raising campaign for open-heart surgery to save the life of Atieno, a young Kenyan girl. Together with his sister and friends, he raised $5,000 but, due to the hospital's neglect, Atieno died.
At the age of 15, Eldon helped support a Maasai family by buying handmade beaded jewelry made by the mother, Kipenget, later selling it to fellow students and friends. It was during this time that Dan began creating journals filled with collages, photographs, and drawings. He often used satire and cartoons as commentary. He kept the journals as personal statements, which he shared with only a few people.
In 1988, Dan graduated from the International School of Kenya, winning the International Relations and Community Service awards. Voted most outstanding student, he addressed his class, emphasising the importance of crossing cultural barriers and caring for others.
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