The First Snapshot...

This summer, I would like to explore poverty and its implications on various types of education through an international perspective. I hope to understand these issues through a photojournalism project in collaboration with a slum education program, Mahita, and slum children in Andhra Pradesh, India.

The methodology used in this project is Photovoice, which was developed by Professor Caroline Wang at the University Of Michigan School Of Public Health (Wang et al. 1998). One of the innovative aspects of Photovoice is that it entrusts cameras to people at the grassroots level whose voices frequently go unheard and whose perspectives are often disregarded. Children in general are usually not given opportunities to contribute to decisions that affect their lives, but this project hopes to establish that children do have a voice and can be vital partners in decision-making.

There are several goals involved with this research. The first is to understand the types of social education that shape the lives of slum children in Hyderabad through photojournalism. The various types of education that will be highlighted through this project are:

• Health: general hygiene, AIDS/HIV prevention, pregnancy
• Social: cultural and religious education
• Traditional: Institutionalized pubic school education (English, Math, Science etc.)

The second goal of this project is to analyze the photos and, in partnering with Mahita’s coordinators and educators, establish ways of incorporating the lifestyle of the children into the traditional teaching curriculum of the SMILE schools.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey this summer!