Saturday, December 12, 2020

Student + Window, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2019

Just as the pandemic took hold of the world around us this young girl and her friends were the focus of my attention in Uttar Pradesh. According to my friends in the area, their villages have been spared from the path of the virus. My hope is that she and her friends are healthy and safe.

She attends a large madrasa which we have visited since 2013. Their headmaster is planning on expanding to a second school which will be dedicated to girls in the region. He is quite the presence, at times intimidating and at times like a gentle giant. 

As for her and her friends, they love to be photographed and make the sessions so much fun. This unfinished room will be a classroom for the students in the near future. Until then it's our studio. The ability of this young girl to connect with the lens while chaos is all around her astounds me. The confidence she has while never having met an outsider such as myself before cannot be overstated. 

My hope is that the pandemic eases in our near future and that we can find support for her future school. The work will continue regardless! 

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