#photographyforactivism

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Life is suffering but we can make it beautiful by supporting each other. Bhavani dadi‘s pain taught me a lot. Unpublished Photo - Part of Photo Story - ‘An Assault of Poverty’ : Stealthily, I kept looking at her for quite sometime. I was seeing her frail and shivering body, wrinkles on her face, watery eyes suffer from cataract. I went closer to her, sat next to her. I tried to talk to her but she didn’t respond as she wasn’t even able to say something but only shivering on a scorching day. I wasn’t able to collect courage to take her photo. I wasn’t sure as well if she was comfortable with my presence there. I took her photo after talking to her relatives but I had lack of self conviction. Sometimes I feel like to keep my camera in my bag and just talk to people. It is the only time apparently I hate my camera. I don’t know if I should say this but during my photo story ‘an Assault of Poverty’ I have witnessed people who are ‘living as dead’. Many times I have felt as if people here have lost their survival instinct. Poverty and exploitation have already killed them from inside. As Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen said “poverty is a real deprivation of the basic capabilities that enable people to access and make use of this income and other amenities in the society”. Full story link in bio - I visited seven villages in Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan in India. Rajasthan state where the Bhil tribe make up 39% of the tribal population. Tribal villagers in the district had no economic stability, healthcare or even education, with some often being forced to take up bonded wage labor, with monthly incomes as low as US$7, and sometimes even nothing. #activismthroughphotography #photographyforactivism #poverty #tribal #oldage #cataract #reportagespotlight #yourshotphotographer #magnumphotos #creativeimagemagazine #tlpicks #p3top #society #everydayeverywhere #everydayindia #everydayasia #nikonindiaofficial #nikonasia #healthcare #photooftheday #myexperience #instagram #development #documentaryphotography #india (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/BycsmS2H0wd/?igshid=1hspkqcwduoru

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‘Support Adharshila Balika Shivir’ - Nothing can be as satisfying as this! People are coming forward to support Adharshila Balika Shivir after seeing the photo story I did. You can also volunteer there if not monetary. Adharshila needs innovative ideas and volunteers! “Until children get proper education, their communities will be oppressed by the privileged strata as it is quite the norm in this area. Feudalism and bonded labour have handcuffed the freedom and the value of the lives of scheduled tribes and scheduled caste here. Education is a way for these children to live a life of their rights” said Khemraj Choudhary, co-founder of Adharshila. Full story link in bio. Photo Caption- Girls having lunch during a break, in Village Amarpura, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India. #photographyforactivism #activismthroughphotography #happiness #education #thepeoplewemet #yourshotphotographer #magnumphotos #creativeimagemagazine #reportagespotlight #tlpicks #p3top #unicef #unicefindia #documentaryphotography #indiaphotosociety #unwomen #bestofthebest #photooftheday #ruralindia #villagesofindia #whp #children #everydayindia #everydayasia #everydayeverywhere #nikonindiaofficial #nikonasia (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByaI5sXH26J/?igshid=scpdmn8vk6py

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I wanted to meet people, see their culture; traveling always excited me, listening and reading about activists would pump me up, and I always felt a curiousity for writing and doing something creative. So I decided I will never do a regular mundane job. But what next? I was tired and tense with the uncertainty of my career so I took a gap year and started traveling with minimum resources and then one day I got the opportunity to do survey for ministry of rural development. The conditions in the villages we surveyed was appaling, casteism was rampant, people were deprived of basic health care and access to PDS. I had never seen this world. I thought I would document these problems and show it to the world for an impact. I chose social documentary photography as the medium. However I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t know how to operate even a compact camera but I boldly dared nd bought an entry level DSLR. The journey has been a roller coaster ride. I met many people who supported me and believed in me. They have been my mentor and insipiration. I don’t think anything else gives me this kind of contentment. I specially feel this when I see people discuss a problem after seeing my work and coming forward to support the cause. This is an activism for me and this is a goal of my work. I hope I can sustain this through the challenges. I need to find a way to outreach my work to maximum people to make an impact, come over financial challenges and come out stronger than before. Sometimes it’s difficult but it is always close to my heart and I enjoy it!! People I meet on field gives me hope. #activismthroughphotography #photographyforactivism #mystory #myjourney #photojournalism #documentaryphotography #pulitzercenter #pulitzercenterforcrisisreporting #reportagespotlight #magnumphotos #p3top #peoplewemet #creativeimagemagazine #natgeo #worldpressphoto #burnmagazine #lensculture #socialimpact #bbcnews #nyt #npr #photooftheday #instagram #everydayeverywhere #everydayindia #everydayasia #nikonindiaofficial #nikonasia https://www.instagram.com/p/ByVGa33nIvG/?igshid=jdo5shlorzpk

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Excerpts from book ‘Child Marriage no never, Without my consent never ever’ - Rajasthan ‘ ‘Like an old and powerful tree’ Ratni shares, “In the beginning the villagers taunted the villagers taunted us a lot; the village Panchayat ridiculed us when we gave our daughter Sonu a mobile phone and sent her to another village to study. Today she is a nurse and two of her friends play kabaddi and swim competitively. The customs and traditions in our village are like a tree that is very old and powerful, whose roots are buried in the earth. We have broken this custom and brought in a new one.” #activismthroughphotography #photographyforactivism #childmarriage #girlsnotbrides #creativeimagemagazine #yourshotphotographer #reportagespotlight #everydayindia #everydayasia #everydayeverywhere #womenempowerment #gettyimages #natgeoyourshot #p3top #myfeatureshoot #bestphotooftheday #instagram #photooftheday #everydaychildhood #girlpower #unicef #mothers #nikonasia #nikonindiaofficial #thepeoplewemet #childhood #parents #parentslove #husbandandwife (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByIFlJrnouF/?igshid=w2ow2cjj39bx

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Excerpts from book ‘Child Marriage no never, Without my consent never ever’ - Rajasthan ‘ ‘Deserted Dreams and Desires’ Sharda was surrounded by her giggling friends who wanted to know what had happened after the ‘gauna’ (being sent to live in her marital home). She spoke in a low voice, “I don’t know anyone there, not even my husband. I sit quietly in one place. I only eat if someone asks to do so…or I keep waiting till someone takes notice and offer me food or even tea.” Link of PDF copy of book in bio #activismthroughphotography #photographyforactivism #childmarriage #girlsnotbrides #creativeimagemagazine #yourshotphotographer #reportagespotlight #everydayindia #everydayasia #everydayeverywhere #womenempowerment #gettyimages #natgeoyourshot #p3top #myfeatureshoot #bestphotooftheday #instagram #photooftheday #everydaychildhood #girlpower #unicef #mothers #nikonasia #nikonindiaofficial #thepeoplewemet #girlpower #childhood #girlfriends (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByFgXGTnZ49/?igshid=1p097ahvmfc9c

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Excerpts from book ‘Child Marriage no never, Without my consent never ever’ - Rajasthan ‘ ‘Hide and Seek’ The two sisters had to pay heavy price for their father’s alcoholism and mother’s indifeerence. The house was sold; Bua took the money promising to look after the girls. “Little did we know our aunt would treat us worse than her animals”. Lakshmi was sold into marriage for thirty-five thousand rupees, and nine-year-old Aarti was sold for twenty-five thousand. Aarti was thrown out of her in-law’s house. She was out herding the buffaloes and started playing. She lost a buffalo…Now she lives in a children’s home. At least I got a home to live in” Lakshmi said. Link of PDF copy of book in bio #activismthroughphotography #photographyforactivism #childmarriage #girlsnotbrides #creativeimagemagazine #yourshotphotographer #reportagespotlight #everydayindia #everydayasia #everydayeverywhere #womenempowerment #gettyimages #natgeoyourshot #p3top #myfeatureshoot #bestphotooftheday #instagram #photooftheday #everydaychildhood #girlpower #unicef #girltraveler #sisterhood #mothers #nikonasia #nikonindiaofficial #thepeoplewemet #girlpower #childhood (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByCyCdTH3QZ/?igshid=1vajkwuxdegjn

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Excerpts from book ‘Child Marriage no never, Without my consent never ever’ - Rajasthan ‘ ‘Girls blooming and withering’ With just a day to go for the nig wedding day, Aarti decided to call it off. It was as if an earthquake had hit the village. Everyone was now discussing her dark deeds. “Since I did not have a father, my mother, suddenly widowed and alone, felt helpless and gave in to family pressure. My friend Nirmala is also getting married. I asked her to not rush into marriage, but…I think she wants the marriage just as much.” Link of PDF copy of book in bio #activismthroughphotography #photographyforactivism #childmarriage #girlsnotbrides #creativeimagemagazine #yourshotphotographer #reportagespotlight #everydayindia #everydayasia #everydayeverywhere #womenempowerment #gettyimages #natgeoyourshot #p3top #myfeatureshoot #bestphotooftheday #instagram #photooftheday #everydaychildhood #girlpower #unicef #girltraveler #sisterhood #mothers #nikonasia #nikonindiaofficial #thepeoplewemet #girlpower #childhood https://www.instagram.com/p/ByBPz16nzpR/?igshid=q2sucuwq0ak5

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Excerpts from book ‘Child Marriage no never, Without my consent never ever’ - Rajasthan ‘ ‘Looming Uncertainty’ “I called 1098 and pleaded with them to stop my wedding. But they said it was a wrong number.” “If Haseena Didi is sent off to her ‘sasural’ (marital home) now, what will happen to her education? We want to go to school! We want to study…” Peeping over Haseena’s shoulder was her seven-year-old sister Nazma, who recalled shyly, ‘I was only a breast-feeding infant… I did not even know what was happening when they got me married.” The sisters had gathered so many emotions into their little eyes…laughter, joy, sorrow, and childhood, which was on the verge of being destroyed. Link of PDF copy of book in bio #activismthroughphotography #photographyforactivism #childmarriage #girlsnotbrides #creativeimagemagazine #education #yourshotphotographer #reportagespotlight #everydayindia #everydayasia #everydayeverywhere #womenempowerment #gettyimages #natgeoyourshot #p3top #myfeatureshoot #bestphotooftheday #instagram #photooftheday #girlpower #unicef #girltraveler #sisterhood #cyclelife #sistersquad #lifecoachingforwomen #nikonasia #nikonindiaofficial #thepeoplewemet (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByAUCWVHPNA/?igshid=17f7jf8cilv7p