Sambhail focuses on the girls and women's lives for the perfect shot
By: Agastya Maharaj
Generally
women and girls are over burden with household chores and deeply
entrenched in a community of gender roles. Lucky for the girls and
women of Jodhpur the NGO Sambhali Trust opened its doors for new
skills in order to be ready for the next era.
Sambhali
Trust introduced a photography workshop with aid of it volunteers
Stephan and Monica from Germany. Life for the girls and women of
Jodhpur is blurry. The girls and women are subjected to inequality
that impedes their education development within the community.
Sambhali Trust believes more skills are in need, therefore
implementation of photography will create diversity at this NGO.
Sambhali’s vision is to provide girls and women with basic
education and skills which will prepares them to be future leaders in
the community, nation and potentially the world. The photography
workshop hosted by Sambhail auto focused the girls and women life for
the perfect shot.
In
September, 2015 the girls and women of Sambhali Jodhpur Empowerment
Centers embraced a new skill "photography". The photography
workshops served as catalyst to foster a larger change for the girls
and women. It introduced them to a technological world. The
photography workshops assist in opening their horizons for a possible
future as a professional photographer. The girls attend these
workshops alternative days for one month in groups.
"Life
is like a camera, you focus on what's important. Capture the good
times, develop from the negative and if things don't work out take
another shot" The girls and women whom attend Sambhail
Empowerment Centers are often drop out of school, adolescent
pregnancy married at a young age and housewives whom are susceptible
to all types of abuse. Often the girls and women have no authority to
decision making powers.
The
general consensus obtained from the interviews, was the workshop
seized to perfect their lives for the moment. The one hour classes
was the best moments. The enjoyment from the classes made the girls
and women forget there socio-cultural and religious norms which
restrict girls and women to claim their basic rights in society.
Kripa
Hans, 18 years old aspires to be a model; the photography workshop
was like a "dream come true".
The
girls and women were exposed to hands on experience with the
professional cannon cameras. Basic demonstration on how to use a
camera was conducted. The photography workshops were filled with fun
and excitement for the girls and women.
Shaheen
Bano, 16 years old loved the workshop and would like to attend the
workshop again.
Photography
is an art of observation which the girls and women of Sambhali
mastered, they went to various locations to practice this acquired
skill of photography. Stephen and Monica utilize the spaces around
Sambhali Jodhpur Empowerment Center as well as inside and outside of
Durag Niwas guest house to capture the moments.The girls and women
learnt to take group, abstract and portrait pictures.
The
highlight for most of the girls was the trip to Mehrangarh Fort to
practice their new skill. The splendid Fort is situated one hundred
and fifty meters high, this historical Fort overlooks the entire city
of Jodhpur. It has a remarkable architecture that leaves one
mesmerized. The girls and women had a chance to capture the most
breathtaking shots from this location.
Aaesa
Khan, 13 years old enjoyed "clicking pictures at the Mehrangarh
fort with her friends".
Stephan
and Monica strategically planned a photo shoot for each of the girls
and women with their friends at the various locations .The girls and
women were given the opportunity to hold and practice the art of
photography.
Pooja
Gehlot, 18 years old would like to travel the world and take
photographs.
At
the end of workshop Stephan and Monica award the girls printed
pictures in a book. The hypothesis of photography workshop was to
bring out creativity which lay dominate in each of girls and women.
Their photography skills was a piece of art. The girls were given the
opportunity to create their own photo albums with pictures they had
the privilege to take. It was an activity to allow them to perceive
the landscape, objects and their friends through the lens of a
camera.
It
was with a heavy heart the girls and women bid farewell to Stephan
and Monica.
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