Girl, Student, Temple, Humana People to People, Khera Village, Rajasthan, India, November 16, 2009

Early this morning we decide to make images to the side of the classroom, which also happens to be to the side of the local temple. The villagers were kind enough to allow us this space to work and the girls, one by one, stood for their portraits. Some were more at ease in front of the lens and some were less so, but all were themselves. Directly behind me is the local water well, and behind me to the right by perhaps 50 meters is a path that takes us to the teacher's home, in which I have been treated with deep love and respect on numerous occasions.

In this village Humana People to People India intends to reopen a Girls Bridge School staffed by the same, wonderful teacher. They have spoken to her and her family, and they have both agreed on continuing with this good work. The village itself is surrounded by open fields and quite distant from the main road. The sound of girls reciting the alphabet can be heard from a distance, and I have had the honor of recording such lessons in the past.

This past weekend a benefit was held at Artistic Muse Gallery to highlight the schools and their purpose in these villages. With the generous support of countless people, sufficient funds were raised to support three of the five schools outlined in my conversation with Humana People to People India. This, along with the funds raised earlier this year, means that we can now concentrate on raising funding/awareness for next year's goal.

This year's visit to the villages promises to be deeply inspirational and enlightening.

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Halim Ina Photography