WNCB India has organised photography workshops in Bihar with the intention to teach children the art of storytelling through the medium of photography. This ‘Capacity Building and Digital Inclusion’ activity has led to children rediscovering themselves as they weave together their world of thoughts and feelings. The workshops have been conducted by Sudharak Olwe, a well-known Indian photojournalist. Sudharak has worked with many NGOs presenting their extraordinary work with both rural and urban communities. Olwe conducted absorbing sessions with 50 children aged between 15 and 18 years, mainstreamed with education and vocational training interventions.

In Bihar, two workshops have been organized. Both the workshops, meeting the partners and children have provided a deep insight into this very social evil faced by the young ones of our country. The work of the WNCB local partners within the communities has been very important, and it could be seen during the sessions.

Enabling children to express their thoughts and emotions

With local partner Fakirana Sisters Society (FSS) in Bettiah, the workshop helped in exposing the children to the medium of photography through the lens of telling stories. As children began to express their concerns, the interaction in group sessions shaped their perspectives about their realities. The response was great, especially with the young and adolescent girls, who quickly picked up basics and started speaking about their surroundings. They also created great images and even videos.

• 22 young girls (17-24 years) were linked to vocational training programs like computers and stitching which was done through the awareness creation by the trainees of the photography workshop.
• 5 girls took pictures of district government hospital on the issue of sanitation and lack of cleanliness and shared the pictures with the project team. Are in the process of strategizing an action with the district hospital.
• 3 boys took pictures of children involved in rag picking activities and spoke with the children’s parents to send their children to school. After counselling they were ready to not send their children to work.
• 3 girls took photos of child marriage case (child bride) and discussed with the community in abolishing child marriage and were successful in achieving it.

   

With local partner MV Foundation’s, the children who participated came from a very different spectrum. The children in Bettiah live in a city environment and they were already exposed to a bit of media. The children at the MV Foundation’s workshop came from very vulnerable communities from remote and rural backgrounds. Almost all of them, the girls and boys, had worked as labourers in farms and brick kilns. For them it started from the ground up and it was important they understood that they were in a safe space and could share anything they like. They also learned about the world of photography and smartphones. What started as a silent workshop with only a few voices, ended 5 days later with children singing, doing plays, girls dancing. For most of them this was the first time people heard what they had to and could say.

As tiny windows to the world, the workshops enabled  children to reimagine a different world through their lens and created a sense of self and possibility to dream bigger.

    

Draw my superhuman character

As a part of the 6 day workshop, children were introduced to the world of expressions and feelings. In the ‘Draw my superhuman character’ session children expressed their thoughts through art, to depict the qualities that their character would possess to fight the menace of child labour and child marriage in their surroundings.

The characters they drew were a teacher with a computer head, a head of a lion (who with its majestic power and roar would ask people to ensure education of children), and much more. Some children drew their vision of what they would like to be in future – one of them being a hair dresser.