In this village my collaboration with @humanaindia began in 2006, and the photography continues to the present. For this portrait we walked around the village with the teacher and visited the homes of the students. These experiences have enriched my life more than words can express. The girls just loved to role pay, and this young girl stood for her portrait in the family's open kitchen as the light came through the doorway.
They’re fully aware of the hardships facing them and yet they persevere and endure through it all. In this classroom they could be themselves and act out their creative thoughts. It’s been an honor to be at their side all of these years.
This village specifically, and this very school, are dear to me. The school itself is very small, has perhaps 24 girls and 20 boys. This is the scenery just behind the school, and all around it as well. The children are so curious and deserve our best in order to help improve their circumstances. We hope to do better in 2022.
Our session yesterday included an impromptu hour of photography in their classroom and in front of their friends, thus the smiles on their incredible faces.
Over the past two weeks we have visited over 10 villages and reconnected with all madrasas within them thanks to my brother Imdadulla Nadvi and his trust in our collaboration. Tomorrow we set out to visit two more schools and meet more beautiful students of this region.
This is what 800 photographs looked like when we handed them to the eager students at a local school, a school which is quite special to us. The students love to be photographed and are beyond kind. To be able to photograph young, muslim girls in a traditional school is quite a privilege. It is my intention to respond to their need to improve their school, and open a new school just for the girls.
