Photo by Roberto/Save the Children. Roberto took part in the participatory photo project. 

IMAGES HERE:  

www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2SZMCG_F

VIDEO OF WORKSHOPS: 

www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2S3E2CRH

ARTWORKS: 

www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2S3LLBBH 

BOGOTA, Friday 8 December – Children from the Wayuu indigenous group in Colombia have documented how the climate crisis is drying up their land, putting food, water and a healthy life further out of reach, in a series of photographs released by Save the Children to mark Children and Youth Day at COP28.

Sony Award winning photographer Angela Ponce delivered a workshop for the children in La Guajira, Colombia, teaching them the fundamentals of photography and providing them with their own film camera for a week to capture their environment, cultural traditions, and daily life. Each child also kept a notebook to document why they have taken their images, making this a truly unique participatory project. 

As part of the project, the children also learned to develop their own images relying only on the power of the sun, through the process of “Cyanotype” printing, to symbolise the environmental challenges they face. Each artwork has a distinctive blue hue illustrating the desperate need for water in their community, and the indigenous plants that are vital for their survival.     

For centuries, the Wayuu people have lived off the land, but the climate crisis has seen a series of crippling droughts, erratic rainfall, and soaring temperatures meet with high levels of pollution to devastate the environment in their home of La Guajira.

The current El Nino weather pattern is also projected to bring reduced rainfall to the area.

Iveth,16, who took part in the project, said:

 “Before we had orchards, it rained, the plants grew. We didn´t water the plants, the rain did. Now there´s no rain, the weather has changed so we can´t sow. The plant´s leaves dry out due to the temperature and die….” 

“Here, the Wayuu suffers from the lack of water. It can´t be found, as the weather is changing there aren’t seasons anymore.”  

“I liked when we started to take photos, we learned how to use the camera and how to take the pictures…. I´m taking pictures of where the animals eat and drink water… I would like to take photos of issues like climate change, everything regarding the drought.” 

After years of drought, water levels have hit historic lows, and only 3.3% of Wayuu communities have access to clean water[i]. The water that is available is often taken from a “jaguey”, a natural aquifer in the form of a pond which collects rainwater and is shared with livestock. This results in regular occurrences of diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases among children who are forced to drink the water.  

Hunger is also looming, with communities struggling to sow crops because of the drought. The mortality rate for malnutrition in children under five years is 7.8 more than the national average[ii]. La Guajira is also the poorest region in the country, where over 60% of the population live in poverty. La Guajira is also the fourth poorest region in the country, where 58% of the population live in poverty.

Due to climate change, things are set to get worse as temperatures rise. Earlier this year, the Colombian government declaring an economic and social emergency in La Guajira[iii].

Ismael, 14 said: “It hasn´t rained for a long time, and I think that we need the water and the animals do too. We drink the water from the cattle pond.”  

In his photo he took of the sun, he said; “I took a picture of the sun because it was too hot and that is harmful for the trees, and it makes us thirsty. The heat makes us thirsty, and the cattle pond is far away, as I told you, sometimes it’s empty and we need something to drink. 

Sony Award winning photographer Angela Ponce, whose work focuses on the impact of the climate crisis on indigenous groups said: 

“The climate crisis hits the most vulnerable the hardest, and it’s heartbreaking to see children bearing the brunt of a problem they didn’t create. Handing the Wayuu children their own cameras gives them a voice to show the world the challenges they face. Their photos tell a powerful story of strength and resilience, highlighting the urgent need for all of us to protect our planet and support those most affected”. 

Felipe Cortes, Head of Advocacy and Communications at Save the Children in Colombia said:

“Wayuu people have relied on their land to grow crops for many generations – but for years, they have struggled due to increasing drought, erratic rainfall and extremely high temperatures. Just one in ten Wayuu children has access to clean drinking water. In La Guajira, the official death rate for children from malnutrition is six times that of the national average.

“The climate crisis, caused by adults, is putting nutritious food further and further out of reach – and harming children first and worst. Wayuu children, like others across the world, will be affected by decisions made at COP28 – and their rights and needs must be at the forefront of these decisions.”

The children involved in the project are all part of a Save the Children programme with the Wayuu community, supporting them to address issues around climate change, deforestation and waste management. This programme is community-led and encourages intergenerational dialogue to help the Wayuu people preserve their traditional way of life while building resilience to the impacts of climate change.

In Colombia and across the world, Save the Children supports children to get their voices heard on issues like climate change.  At COP28, the child rights organisation is calling on governments and all relevant organisations to recognise children as key agents of change in the climate crisis, and to ensure children have platforms to say what they want on climate policy, financing and more.

Save the Children is also calling for progress towards an ambitious new goal on climate finance that moves far beyond the pledge to mobilise at least $100bn annually  with a particular focus on reaching children impacted by inequality and discrimination, such as Wayuu children.

The child rights organisation also called for ambitious and urgent action now to limit warming to a maximum of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.  Failing to do this will have dramatic consequences for children’s health, safety, and wellbeing.

For more information and media inquiries, please contact:

Emily Wight, Emily.Wight@savethechildren.org

Daphnee Cook, Daphnee.Cook@savethechildren.org

Simon Edmunds at s.edmunds@savethechildren.org.uk or +447515855180. 

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409

Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements and location Vlogs.

IMAGES HERE:  

www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2SZMCG_F

VIDEO OF WORKSHOPS: 

www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2S3E2CRH

ARTWORKS: 

www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2S3LLBBH 

The beauty of Bengal has long inspired artists, and photographer Sanjay Das is no different. The Red Hibiscus Trail, presented by Gallery Ragini and curated by Ina Puri, is one such visual odyssey that captures the many charms of Bengal — be it the heritage, culture and rituals or the state’s festivals, architecture, and arts. The solo exhibition–on display in the national capital till January 10, 2024 — features Das’ artworks captured over a decade-long trail of Bengal’s unexplored regions.

The Red Hibiscus Trail

Speaking about the artworks to Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, Das says, “[I wanted to] capture Bengal’s glorious past and [the] components of our plush ethnicity that […] may cease to exist in the years to come. That is when these archives [might] help ameliorate the memories of those generations who may never get to see these lost stories again and aid in presenting images for the generations to come that may never experience them in person.”

A ‘prabashi’ Bengali who grew up in Delhi, Das’ The Red Hibiscus Trail follows his journey through the interiors of villages documenting the lives of the ordinary craftsmen who lived in the area. His journey down nostalgia lane took the College of Art graduate through heritage sites of Purulia, Murshidabad, Medinipur, Birbhum, Howrah, Hooghly, 24 Parganas and Kolkata. As he revisits the landscapes of Bengal, Das doesn’t merely document; he delves into the interiors, uncovering untold stories and weaving a narrative that transcends the familiar. Through the monotone black and white photographs, viewers can hear the beats of mridangam musicians, marvel at the artistry of shankha jewellers and watch kantha weavers craft many tales. The trail also leads him to half-submerged terracotta temples and mosques, revealing hidden gems that transcend time.

Das reveals, “My love for Bengali culture and traditions was part of my growing up years in Delhi. Acquaintances with the folklore of Bengal came my way through legends and stories narrated to me by the elders in the home. These cultural snippets trickled down to me in my childhood, and subconsciously stayed with me.” 

An Ode to Bengal

Ina Puri, the curator of the series, reflects on Das’ unique approach to photography. Traditionally a medium dependent on light, Puri notes that the photographer seamlessly incorporates darkness into his compositions, adding depth and dimension. His childhood exposure to folk theatre, she says, lends a cinematic edge to his work, evident in the vivid portrayal of charak players and the authentic re-enactment of life. The name of the series, too, takes inspiration from quintessentially Bengali traditions. 

“When it came to selecting a title for this fabulous show that spanned over 12 years of the photographer’s life, I felt we had to have a name that symbolically reflected on his many journeys to Bengal,” reveals Puri while speaking exclusively to Travel+Leisure India & South Asia. She adds, “The red hibiscus associated with worshipping the Goddess Kali is also a flower that grows in profusion in the villages and hamlets of Bengal. Since Sanjay was documenting the monuments, mandirs and masjids across the hinterlands, he might have seen these vibrant flowers–known in Bengal as jaba phool–everywhere he went. And therefore, the title The Red Hibiscus Trail.

Exhibition Overview

Dates: Till January 10, 2024
Venue: Gallery Ragini, Ambassador Hotel, Near Khan Market, New Delhi

Related: Exploring Santiniketan In West Bengal, The Land Of Tagore

Written By

University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate photography students showed off their work at the “Take My Word For It” photography exhibition, which concluded Sunday at the Arts Lofts Gallery. 

The exhibition gave gallery-goers an up-close look at the artists’ and their personal stories. 

Second year grad student Mariah Moneda displayed three pieces, all of which centered around her Filipino culture and connection with food. Her selected pieces, “Banana Leaves,” “Black Crappie” and “Turon and Banana Leaf,” gave her audience a glimpse into Filipino food traditions important to her. 

“Most of my work revolves around this idea of labor and community, and the way that we showed love in my family actually had a lot to do with the gestures of feeding each other,” Moneda told The Daily Cardinal. “Even when we were mad at each other or we were fighting, there was this idea that you still deserve a seat at the table. You still deserve sustenance. You deserve to live.” 

Through her work, Moneda visually explored her personal connection to food, the sustenance it provides and the decay that stems from wasted scraps. 

In “Turon and Banana Leaf,” Moneda photographed a staged still life of turon, a Filipino dessert, and a decaying banana leaf to spark conversation on where your meals come from and where they’re discarded. 

“You can’t have a meal without all the discard that comes with it, and I think that’s really indicative of how you can’t have all the good things without having all the bad things,” Moneda said. “I really love this visual motif of life and death and the juxtaposition between the two.”

Before starting graduate school at UW-Madison, much of Moneda’s work centered around domestic life and her family. When she moved away from her family in Arizona to Wisconsin, she struggled to figure out how to continue incorporating her culture and family traditions into photography. 

Moneda recalled the first time she stumbled across something that reminded her of home and how that experience inspired some of her more recent photography work. 

“I had this really surreal moment where I was in a Thai restaurant, and I had this very simple rice soup that was so reminiscent of one that I’ve had from my childhood,” she said. “I remember smelling it and then just bursting into tears in the middle of this Thai restaurant because I’m so far away from home and everything I know.”

Moneda said that moment sparked a realization: food is a connection to her roots as well as a way to “move forward and build a new community.” 

“Food is this invitation to bring people to a place they usually wouldn’t go,” Moneda said. “I talk a lot about how food is a tool I use to invite others into my space.” 

While Moneda said cooking helped her build a community in Wisconsin, she still grieves being away from her community back home. 

“For me, I think it’s also this gesture of grief and a send off because so much of what I’m able to share with my new community comes from my old community that I don’t have anymore, which is why I’m attempting to build a new one in the first place,” Moneda said. 

While Moneda’s work in the exhibition focused on her Filipino culture and relationship with food, second year graduate student Mark Almanza explored personal struggles that come with being a first-generation Mexican-American. 

“I’ve never felt Mexican enough or American enough, and so I’m living in this kind of middle space of identity,” Almaza told the Cardinal. 

In one of Almanza’s self portraits titled “El Perron y El Perrito,” Almaza captured himself sitting center-frame in a wooden chair holding a little stuffed dog. In the portrait, he donned a cowboy hat and a western belt buckle. 

Another self-portrait titled “El Águila Sobre un Nopal,” meaning “The Eagle on a Cactus,” features Almaza sitting shirtless in front of a tapestry of an eagle. The eagle tapestry serves as a symbolic representation of his Mexican heritage, calling on the nation’s flag which encapsulates an image of an eagle. 

Almaza said his photography allows him to take on issues with machismo, which he said is a strong sense of masculine pride embedded in Latino culture, and explore what it means to exist in a space between two cultures. 

“Self-portraiture really allows me to choose a lane and be the person that I might want to be,” Almaza said. 

Beyond Moneda and Almaza’s work, the exhibition as a whole served as a collection of deeply personal experiences and stories told visually through photography, living up to the exhibition’s name, “Take My Word For It.”