The more open and willing I am to fully immerse in the new, the more I am gifted with the reminder that, at the bottom of things, I am everything and everywhere. The illusion of separation is busted. Freedom is found. And I am able to understand, in a visceral and tangible way, that we really are all the same. Salaam Garage India 2009 was a powerful lesson in how our stories collide in an instant and we are reflected in all that we meet. I am beyond grateful for the doorways opened on that trip, the truth seen in eyes and heard in words spoken. I believe, wholly, that these images and stories have the potential to expand for the better both the lives of those visited, who were brave enough to allow themselves to be seen, and those fortunate enough to witness and respond.
Lisa Field-Elliot is a photographer and writer who seeks travel, beauty, and connection. Anytime. Anywhere. She shares her experiences in words and images at doorwaystraveler.com, with the hopes of inspiring you to look for the next doorway to greater freedom in your own life.
Amanda Koster: Vatsalya’s mobile van goes out with its team and parks in a slum location. Street children gather to paint, play sports, and do writing exercises. A cleanliness and hygiene drive is conducted, followed by discussions on child rights and the Juvenile Justice Act of India. At these camps, Vatsalya finds orphaned and abandoned children for Udayan. Children with parents are encouraged to go to other schools.
During the cleanliness and hygiene drive, a Vatsalya water truck delivers water to the children of the Samvedna slum for bathing, one or two times a week. It was exhilarating to be around the children as they splashed around in the water. Their joy was infectious and I didn’t mind at all when my camera lens also got a bath. As you can see, this was a pretty good day.
Maggie Soladay: In 2003, three young orphaned girls were spotted living under a bridge in Kota. A man, who worked for another humanitarian organization, noticed the girls and called Vatsalya’s Udayan Home for Children. Vatsalya dispatched a van that confirmed the man’s suspicions: the girls had no family and were foraging for food and taking care of each other. Seema, Sapna, and Soniya are no w living at Udayan, where they will stay into adulthood. Soniya was 7 years old, Seema, 6, and Sapna 4, when they were found. Now, 5 years later, there is virtually no trace of the life they were surviving under that bridge. Vatsalya helps identify the children’s strong suits and provides practical job training and job placement. Though they are welcome to stay after 18 years old, many will leave and use their education and contacts to support themselves.
Maggie Soladay is an photography editor, producer, and photographer based in NYC. She is a passionate activist, using her knowledge of the old and new media to tackle the world’s humanitarian and environmental problems. Maggie believes everyone has a calling to give back to the communities they care about. While photographers and journalists have a special duty, she says, “We can be officers of justice and social change by putting our media skills to use for good.”
Soladay is the NYC producer-in-chief of SalaamGarage and SalaamGarage Local/NYC. She lead SalaamGarage India 2009 and Ethiopia 2010 trips, and will lead the India 2011.
Full speed ahead, we’ve got an appointment with the king! Notice how no one on the street acts like there is anything unusual going on.
This video is not sped up!
Jesse Powell: India has more inspiring stories than could ever be told. Despire all the trouble, the hardship, the poverty, the Indian people seem eternally optimistic. Their optimism is not without good cause, thanks to organizations like Vatsalya, and the unwaveringly devoted, often self-sacrificing people who’ve committed themselves to the greater good. More than anything else, it was the stories of these crusaders that I found most intriguing. We’re not talking about people with nothing better to do. These are MDs, PhDs, – people with everything in the world going for them, who chose to give up lucrative careers in order to devote more time to humanitarian causes. The guts, the vision, the long-term societal interest put before one’s own – it pulls at the heartstrings. What are these men and women made of, and how can we make more of them? They’re setting an example that will be challenging, yet compelling to meet. I think all of us on the SalaamGarage team were blown away. With friends like these, who needs angels?
Jesse Powell is the co-founder and CEO of Lewt, Inc. and the found of Verge gallery & Studio Project. His primary interests are philosophy, law, education, and psychology. He says, “Ultimately, I’d like to do something big to help improve education around the world, (including public education in the U.S.) My feeling is that poor education really is at the root of a number of the world’s other major problems. If we can get education sorted out, these other problems will solve themselves.”
Simon Cordova: I traveled to India to photograph Vatsalya’s mobile van project, Samvedna (Karune). Once on the ground, I met the broken but lucky few street children of Jaipur that have made it to Udayan. The other joyful faces I photographed in the slums made me think of my family in Kansas. The street children are the same age as my nieces and nephews but each one of them has faced hardships my family will never face. Just like my loved ones, they are just starting to learn about life. The children of Jaipur have learned to survive but know nothing of self-worth. Vatsalya gives care and deserved attention to their hair, nails, feet and imagination. This gives them the necessary self-confidence to start their own lives from a place we so often take for granted.
Simon Cordova is a traveling documentary/feature film photographer whose work embodies his adventurer’s spirit. Whether on a crowded bus in India or wandering alone int he Lower Ninth Ward, all of his senses are engaged, and his camera is poised to capture something incredible. When photographing faces, Simon’s subjects immediately recognize his friendliness, energy, and sincerity – and reciprocate with striking emotional honesty. Originally from Lawrence, Kansas, Simon studied photography at the institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. He lives in Los Angeles – until the next adventure begins.
The more open and willing I am to fully immerse in the new, the more I am gifted with the reminder that, at the bottom of things, I am everything and everywhere. The illusion of separation is busted. Freedom is found. And I am able to understand, in a visceral and tangible way, that we really are all the same. Salaam Garage India 2009 was a powerful lesson in how our stories collide in an instant and we are reflected in all that we meet. I am beyond grateful for the doorways opened on that trip, the truth seen in eyes and heard in words spoken. I believe, wholly, that these images and stories have the potential to expand for the better both the lives of those visited, who were brave enough to allow themselves to be seen, and those fortunate enough to witness and respond.
