The New Zealand exhibition and events

Two weeks of exciting events alongside the exhibition of the children's work. Do go along if you are in the region.

The Children go "Down Under"

Exciting news!! The children's images are going to be exhibited in Wellington, New Zealand, 5 August - 16 September.  So make sure your travel plans have you down here during these dates.

I'll keep you posted with more details.

One of the children's images that will be showing in the PhotoVoice exhibition.

Details here:

PhotoVoice Members Exhibition Private View

We are delighted to announce we will be exhibiting a group show of our members work, at the Photofusion gallery space this month.

PhotoVoice members were invited to submit their own photography work and/ or participatory projects. We received a wealth of striking, thought provoking entries, all testament to the talent and understanding of PhotoVoice members.

This exhibition explores themes such as, place, identity, home, abstraction and people amongst others. Although differing in style and subject matter, all photographers are linked by an interest in PhotoVoice and supporting underrepresented communities.

Viewing our member’s photographs has been a really enjoyable process, and we are excited to celebrate their work with them on January 18th, for a special drinks reception and private view.

Join us as we launch the exhibition and raise a glass to our members, whose support helps ensure the success of PhotoVoice.

Private View

Jan 18, 18:30 – 21:00

17a Electric Lane, Brixton, London, SW9 8LA

Tickets are free but there is limited availability.

Can’t make the Private View? The exhibition will be open to the public from Jan 19th – Feb 14th.

Silver in the High Jump

Sivaraja wins second place in the high jump and is featured in the local newspaper.

Come and see the children's work

Do come and see the wonderful photos the children made.

Thank you

Thank you for your generous contributions towards the medical bills for Indira and Marimuthu. We raised £1000.

Indira is doing well following her surgery in March. (This photo of Indira was taken by Suruthi pre surgery and hospitalisation)

Marimuthu is recovered sufficiently to return to his studies.

Can you help?

I keep in touch with the children and the carers at the Illam.  This is Marimuthu. I'd describe him as the silent and most sensitive boy at the Illam.  I hadn't realised that he was an "at risk" pupil and not making good progress. I found he had a real talent for seeing pictures that the other boys just did not see.  It was this sensitive creative side that photography brought out in him that enabled his teachers to find a way to turn him around, progress his talents, and organise the best program for him going forward, on the right path.  When I departed the Illam this was one of the true success stories of the project.  Today I was shocked to learn that he had fallen into one of the disused wells.  He is very very lucky to be alive.  Thanks to the quick actions of the boys warden he was rescued and resuscitated  and is now recovering.

He has spent more than a month in various hospitals to get the medical attention he so badly needed.  There is no NHS equivalent or free health care in India. The hospital bills for his treatment are an enormous expense that can't really be borne by a poor Indian family the costs have been paid from the Illam's budget.  The Illam's meagre budget that is dedicated into giving disadvantaged children a better chance in life and these costs really strain it and it means other things can't be funded for the children.

This is Indira and this lovely portrait of her was taken by Suruthi, one of the other children of the Illam.  Indira had been complaining of headaches for several years.  It was not easy to figure out if it was simply hormones experienced in adolescence or something more.  The Illam  ensured she got  the medical attention she needed.  Many tests later it was revealed that Indira needed radical surgery as she has TB that has infected her brain.  The Illam has funded the surgery but she has ongoing medical costs.  Her father is an unreliable alcoholic and her mother is very poor and does what she can to find the money to pay for the medication that Indira needs, but there is no way she can afford to pay all the costs.

Marimuthu and Indira's medical bills are very expensive in this part of India, where £10 is nearly a months salary and most of this will be taken up in one child's medical costs. For us outside of India the exchange rate and our incomes mean this is a tiny amount of money for us to find.

How can you help?

Could you give up the price of 2 cups of coffee a month (London prices) to give these two families some assistance to pay for the medical bills for their children.

You can make a donation here on the just giving page

We'll all be very grateful for whatever you might be able to give.

The Children's Poster

We maybe miles apart but we are still working together on the project.  The children's poster for the London exhibition.

EXTRA

If you missed the open days of the exhibition you can still see the work by appointment until 19 February.  Contact by email or social media links on this site.

The Work shows in London

A chance for Londoners to see the work of the children

Meet the children: P. Annam

Like all the children at the Illam P. Annam was always smiling.  She is 13 years old, loves cricket and  plans on studying for a degree in business studies.

She was one of the most prolific photographers, with a knack of capturing wonderful moments in the lives of the girls.

Meet the Children - Suruthi

A talented artist and dancer, 12 year old Suruthi was a natural with a camera in her hands.  "Leading lines, Aunty" she explained when showing me this image.  She quickly became aware of changing light and would arrange subjects in her photos.

I was surprised to learn that photography is regarded as a male occupation in India.  Wedding photography in particular is a very big industry, which is understandable given how many took place during my visit alone.  With no female photographers at all in the local region (they told me this was the same across all of India) I hope some of the girls might now at least consider this as a possible career.

Although Suruthi's ambition is to be a doctor she could easily use her talents in the arts. However, sadly it seems that artistic careers aren't a desirable choice, and children aim to be doctors, engineers or "work for the government". 

Where to from here?

It is hard to believe that nearly a week has passed since I left the illam.  Already I miss the clear blue skies and the amazing sunrises and sunsets.  It sure beats the grey fogginess of London in December, and I defy anyone not to miss the laughter and the energy of the children.  This is the view that gazes across the landscape between my little abode and where the girls live.  Some mornings the field would be filled with goats, sometimes not, but it was always a magical view.

The next step in the story of the children of the illam will happen in London. I plan bring some of the magic, the images, and the stories of the children, many that they created themselves, to be seen here first.  Images and introductions will appear on the blog throughout the Christmas period.  An exhibition is planned for January. Stay posted for updates.

The Exhibition

Last night we held an exhibition of the children's photographs at the DHAN Foundation headquarters in Madurai.  We even had a number of International guests attend the opening.

Something special for our photographers to put on their CV's.

Very Tasty

"Very tasty Aunty"  the boys assured me as they handed me the bright red "vegetable" indicating that I should eat it.  Hmm what is it?  "very tasty" they repeated.

They were right, it was delicious, sweet and yet not overly so.  It had seeds rather like a zuchinni and the flesh was a bit like a very ripe persimmon in texture.  Seeing that I enjoyed their offerings, they scaled back up the tree to pick more for me.  It was hard to convince them that after eating six I really didn't need any more.

What is it called?  I asked. That proved to be a challenge, as the Tamil word meant nothing to me, it sounded like a cross between guava and coconut.

I was certain it was a fruit.  They kept insisting it was a vegetable.  A vegetable growing in a tree seemed unlikely to me.  I hadn't figured on a hidden vine entwined in the tree. Over the next couple of days the children and staff and with a bit of help from google, we finally found the english translation.  It is in fact a vegetable, it is an ivy gourd. The Tamil name is Kovakkai.   In English (or Latin plant name) it is known as coccinia grand is.

My new tasty treat is also laden with health benefits.  Lots of vitamin A and C, protein and antioxidants.  It has been used in traditional medicine to treat leprosy, fever, asthma, bronchitis and jaundice.  New research has discovered it keeps your blood sugar levels in check.  And it has antihistamine properties.  I'll try that on my million mosquito bites and let you know the outcome.

More of the children's images

Another peek at some of the images the children have created.  It is fun to see images on a screen but there is nothing quite like a print in your hand.  So yesterday I took the hour long trip on the local bus to Madurai in search of a printer.  I had a lot of local help and advice so it wasn't too difficult to find a place that could produce some great hard copy.  Not only that but they printed them straight away and  Indian prices made it affordable to print plenty of images.

We're now planning an exhibition to celebrate their work.

It's a wee bit chilly

Icy hands are placed on my arm to prove just how cold the children are.  My comparatively hot skin is an amusing novelty to them.   Temperatures in the low to mid 20's (celsius) I find rather pleasant and not at all cold.  By midday the mercury climbs back up to the low 30's to the relief of the children.  I'm looking for cool shady spots of course.  Comparing their winter with winter in London is a fun challenge.  "It's colder than inside your fridge" I tell them. They can't comprehend anything that cold.

Make a wish

The girls are whispering into the ear of a very powerful bull who apparently has a direct hotline to god.

On Saturday we took all the children of the illam to three heritage villages within the local region.  Villages whose rulers can be traced back to 300BC.  The trip was an opportunity to give them all a glimpse into some of their amazing history, visiting temples that are centuries old. Stone pillars at the entrance to the temples have inscriptions that are over a 1000 years old.  The trip was primarily educational and I hoped it would also prove to be a source of inspiration for their photography.

In the village of Thenkarai, at the entrance to the temple sits a very old statue of the god Nandhi, whose form is that of a bull.

There are so many deities in Hinduism that I'm having trouble remembering them all and what role they play.  What I can glean from my research on Nandhi is that he has a very special status and always sits at the entrance of the temple facing the Lord Shiva.

It all dates back to a time when the goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva, lost her memory, so Shiva and Parvati spent a lot of time meditating in the hope this would aid its return and for a general peaceful wellbeing of course.   Nandhi was a trusted and loyal devotee of Lord Shiva, and so he joined the meditation.   This seemed to Lord Shiva's enemy, Jalandgar as a jolly fine time to abduct Parvati.   Shiva so engrossed in his meditation he didn't notice and no one seemed able to break through his meditative state to inform him of the danger. They hauled in Lord Ganesha (the god who takes elephant form) to try and get the message through to him.  But even he wasn't successful.  However he did notice that the the bull Nandhi had a special relationship with Shiva and was connected to him in the mediation ritual.  So, he whispered in his ear, "hey your wife's been abducted", which had the desired effect of getting Shiva and he then took notice of the events around him just in time, and all ended well.

"Lending an ear" has a whole new meaning here.  If you whisper something in Nandhi's ear you can be assured it will reach Shiva promptly.  Why the other ear is always covered I'm not sure, maybe that is so Parvati or Ganesha don't share your secret.

So what wish were the girls passing on to Shiva yesterday?  I believe they were all asking for a pass in their exams they are currently sitting.

A trip to the barbershop

The boys weren't that keen on having their locks shorn.  Just like boys anywhere they like to gel and spike and be trendy.  They didn't complain loudly but their faces expressed it all.  

In our neighbourhood

The other night I went for a walk with the boys and their warden My Thirumalai (I'm never going to remember everyone's name) to the neighbouring village.  It is truly beautiful countryside (mosquitos aside), a perfect place for these kids to grow up and learn.

The region is agricultural and I subsequently learned an area where many NGO's have set up to help locals make changes in a variety of ways.  One of the NGO's I visited is teaching sustainable and organic farming practices.  This region has the lowest rainfall in all of India.  The great Vaigai river whose path runs from the Varusanadu hills to the sea, stretching 258km is mostly just dry river bed.

The farmers here are being encouraged to change crops selecting plants that are better suited to the conditions.  In the past, rice, bananas and coconut trees, the traditional crops, were all that were grown, relying heavily on fertilisers.  The use of chemicals has also impacted on the precious water supply.  It is not only farmers that are learning new methods of farming.  Nature camps are run for children, based on a Swedish model using play, they are encouraged to find solutions to imaginary environmental problems (that aren't so imaginary anymore).  The vision is a long term one, planning for sustainable farming whilst caring for the environment that will be second nature to the next generation.

Back to our walk, we met one of the local farmers who was tending his cows. He invited the boys to meet a couple of calves in his yard.

We need to get more boys experiencing life like this.  The Illam is restricted to eight boys until the new dormitory is built.  Which of course needs funding.

No Washing Machines Here

Weekends are time to do the laundry.  Everyone is responsible for doing their own.  The outdoor laundry area consists of concrete slabs for soaping

and scrubbing the washing.  Followed by dunking into buckets of fresh water for rinsing.

There is one small line strung across the back of the laundry area but mostly it is hung over the fences around the illam.  In this weather it only takes an hour or two for drying.

How many teenagers do you know that would make washing look like this much fun and voluntarily do their own laundry??