I do miss these young girls and their friends, and have the highest respect for their courage in the midst of indifference and intolerance. Their village is the one in which I sleep during my stay in Uttar Pradesh, thanks to @chmunshadali and his beautiful family.
Their village is their world, and more exactly their home is their world. Unless they are attending school, they are almost always within the confines of their homes.
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.
In many instances, life after the death of the husband is a life waiting for death itself. So many women are married when quite young to men much older than them. As a result, the death of their husbands leaves them as young women with children and without a security net. The stories are endless, the humiliation eternal.
Depending on position and caste, some of these women are forced to shave their heads, others refrain from wearing jewelry or from presenting their beauty to the world. They are to remain invisible for the rest of their lives, almost as a means to relieve Society from its conscience. With over 40,000,000 widows in existence, this leaves a void difficult to ignore.
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.
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.
Just about now Indian time we would be visiting this girl's school in the district of Shamli. This is the first year since 2012 without a visit to India, and I'm already missing her and her friends. This portrait is from last year, right before the quarantine was put in place by the government. It's a view of a world without the worries that came with the pandemic only a week or so later.
This small village has a school which we wish to support. Last year, as a gesture of goodwill, we had the school plastered and painted. This pleased the children to no end, for how they sat in a building resembling more or so a school. The color behind her is the one picked by the painter, almost perfectly matching the tones of her skin.
Usually after the film photography the girls get to be photographed more spontaneously, because we have more time to do so. They go around and find flowers, change scarves, pose with each other and let their creative thoughts flow. This pot of flowers may have been used by a dozen girls, but each girl makes it her own.
This is an exercise in expression for these girls, because they are rarely allowed to be so free. Sometimes they catch themselves smiling and immediately put their hands over their mouths in response. They learn slowly that their expressions are welcome, and slowly allow themselves to let go.
Soon we hope that the pandemic eases its grip on their part of the world and we can move forward with finding support for her small school. She and her friends deserve nothing less.
Sometimes I think that this is impossible, then time and time again the girls prove me wrong. Even when called from their lessons to sit down on a bench, they can compose themselves instantly and stand with such elegance. What goes on in their minds is a mystery to me, but what I sense is pure happiness and love.
This may be the first time that they are put first, in a society which treats them with indifference. They are of course right about my approach, and they know it. That is what I see in this girl's gaze, in her peaceful expression.
All the while I had the digital images to review, including this portrait. This young girl and her sister have been photographed by me over the past five or so years. I would look through the files and just hope that the film equivalents were safe. Taking walks twice a day helped, and the birds on the wires kept me company.
Now I look back and have even more appreciation for my host family. All of the film was processed successfully and her portrait on film is just as exquisite.
Her headmaster is a good man and is planning to construct a new school for the girls of the region. He is moved by the fact that education for girls is less prized by the villagers, in comparison to the education for boys. His decision to pursue such a plan impressed me deeply, and I will work hard on my end to gather the funds necessary by reaching out to the Muslim Community on this side of the world... and every other source of course.
One look into her eyes makes it clear that the work is both important and necessary. The fact that this work is needed in more villages than one can possibly count only makes it more urgent. Anyone moved by this is more than welcome to join.
Day before yesterday we photographed their school for the first time this year. We visited this school many times over the past few years but this year they have made a more serious effort to include more girls. They are also looking to hire more teachers and improve their level of education.
Our session 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 three 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.
Both of the sisters have light eyes, and the headmaster allows us to photograph to almost sunset to allow us to photograph them. In the back of the school there's a space with a slit of light squeezing through two walls. We usually begin with the other girls, and as the sun nears the horizon these two girls come forward for their portraits.
That's exactly what happened for this image, and she began the roll with her gaze down to the ground. Slowly she raised her eyes to the lens and the shutter was released the entire time. Just this week this print was made in the darkroom, bringing that moment from six months ago to the present.
Note: this image was printed onto Ilford 11x14 fiber paper, and toned in Selenium for permanence.
All the while I had the digital images to review, including this portrait. This young girl and her sister have been photographed by me over the past five or so years. I would look through the files and just hope that the film equivalents were safe. Taking walks twice a day helped, and the birds on the wires kept me company.
Now I look back and have even more appreciation for my host family. All of the film was processed successfully and her portrait on film is just as exquisite.
The words below were written in early January, and remind me of a better time. My hope is that we will once again return to this good work, and to a better world.
"In a little more than two weeks I will be in the presence of these students, with more color film in my hands. While most images will be made in monochrome, at least one roll per day will be in color. Thanks to Imdadullah, such portraits are made possible. This good man is doing his best to maintain the cooperation of the community, so that the sewing centers can continue and so that we can help the madrasas with their programs. In this very school the headmaster has asked for support, so that he can present a fuller curriculum to his students. He wants to continue the religious lessons of course, but would also like to include Hindi, English, Math and so on. I cannot wait to show up and do my best to make this happen!"
