I was touched by Jaipur’s street children learning and living at Udayan school. Udayan literally means, “rising and moving ahead.” This is a place where children learn to be children again, while working through ad gaining support for all they have seen and been through. In a country where NGOs are seen as untrustworthy, questionable and unreliable, Vatsalya continue to make a difference and extend its reach to serve the community. Part of my mission is to raise awareness about the programs that Vatsalya offers to women and children. You can help with your donation or by simply sharing our stories with your friends and family.
Aisha-Zakiya Boyd has always enjoyed traveling and exploring new people and places, and for several years her job as a consultant allowed her to travel throughout the United States and its territories. In 2007, she picked up her camera and begin seriously developing her photographic eye,and it was with SalaamGarage that she dusted off her passport and began traveling internationally again. Currently traveling and shooting in the Caribbean, Aisha looks forward to experiencing and photographing new cultures this year to add to an expanding portfolio. When she is not traveling and photographing, Aisha spends time playing with doggies, salsa-dancing, laughing and creating art.
Jody Steere, a homemaker, mother, and sports photographer was particularly attracted to the possibility of bringing her love of photography, travelling, and education together in a single event. She reflects, “the concept of people coming home and sharing what they’ve learned, from any angle or avenue, makes it that much more exciting.”
Mira Zaki is a New York City -based photographer. Educated at the Brooks Institute of Photography, she brings expertise and professionalism to the field of documentary and travel photography. Due to her upbringing with an Egyptian-American family in Seattle and Southern California, she has been infused with a rich appreciation of multicultural food exploration. 15 years in the photography business have prepared her to make a positive impact through storytelling and publishing less-publicized stories, such as the indigenous Mayans of Guatemala.
Patrick Lennox Wright is a freelance commercial photographer living in Seattle. After growing up in Burlington, Vermont, he studied at the Rhode Island School of Photography in Providence. The past 15 years have included positions as photo editor of an online snowboard magazine and photo coordinator for a leading snowboard company.
Sam Lee is a veteran in software and internet industry, from “baby-sitting” computers and websites to crunching numbers and identifying what the customers want. He is inspired to bring about sustainable social change, and has been exploring how to make use of his analytical training, inborn intuition, and interests in photography to help to this end.
