Help the Poor: Positive Change Comes Out Of Taking Action
Workers by the banks of the Hooghly River in Kolkata, India.
The day-to-day hassles of working for the man stop most people from living the life they desire. Nonetheless, each and every day brings opportunities for us to bring real and positive change into the lives of folk less fortunate than ourselves.
Making positive change is a direct result of taking action. To help the poor and disadvantaged, start with a simple act of kindness. A charitable donation, or a kind word or gesture, can lift the spirits of someone suffering physical or psychological stress and impact positively on their life.
I photographed these two young boys, and the adult workers behind them, by the banks of the Hooghly River in Kolkata, India.
Because of their state of undress, I made sure the boys had turned their backs away from the camera before I made the picture.
And I did so despite the fact that all of those present were aware I was making photos, albeit from a discreet distance, at the time.
Frankly, they didn’t seem to care.
Nonetheless, I was uncomfortable photographing these young lads front on to the camera, so I waited in the hope that they’d turn their backs away from me.
I’d also hoped that, by doing so, they’d move closer to the ship and form a triangular shape with the man working behind them.
My intuition was correct and I was rewarded with a photo that benefits from this strong triangular element of composition in the front of the image.
It’s worth noting that this photo was made way back in 2011. I’ve always liked the picture as it explores the human condition and the life of the working poor.
However, I determined at the time that, to ensure the identity of the boy’s remained anonymous, it would be best that I waited before I published the photo.
I hope that it will be viewed as a beautiful image that speaks to the tenacity of the human spirit and to the notion that positive change follows as a direct result of taking action.
When self pity and frustration enters into our lives, let’s not forget our hard life is for the working poor.
Of course, there are many ways we can help those less fortunate than ourselves, including the following:
Providing financial assistance
Donating clothing and homegoods
Volunteering your time to a charitable organization
Donating your skills or services (e.g., family photos at Christmas)
My advice is to start small, with a simple act of kindness, and be thankful for the opportunity to help others less fortunate than yourself.
The great thing about kindness is that it comes directly from the heart. It’s seen for what it is and benefits the giver as well as the recipient.
The act of showing kindness to others is a form of devotion. Pure and authentic, it’s love of the highest order.
And there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that it feels good to be kind.
Kindness can calm the mind, invigorate the spirit and energize the body.
Now that’s the kind of sugar no one should deny themselves or others.
Catholic nun, caring for children, on St Thomas Mount in Chennai, India.
Charity Begins by Taking An Interest in Other People’s Lives
This photo shows a caring nun, looking in on babies at rest at a Catholic run orphanage on St Thomas Mount in Chennai, India.
My mum, Mary Guy OAM, operated a retail business for 18 years, without ever drawing a wage. The profits from that store supported charitable projects around the world, but mostly in India.
My dear old mum had had a long-standing relationship with the orphanage on St Thomas Mount. It was a privilege for me to visit and make some photos there, as a way of promoting the good work undertaken by her charity, Namaste.
Help the Poor: Taking Action Makes a Difference
One of the joys of teaching photography is the opportunity to meet great people and help them to realize their dreams.
Working with Alana Holmberg, at one of my Melbourne based photography courses, provided just such an opportunity.
Alana had journeyed to South Africa to assist a friend of hers, Rebecca, who had set up a not-for-profit organization.
Working in developing communities in Kwa-Zulu Natal, near the city of Durban in South Africa, Alana utilized her writing and photography skills to document Rebecca’s work and the programs she runs.
In addition, Alana ran a photography workshop where the young participants learned basic aspects of photography prior to going out, in pairs, and making photos with simple, film-based Single Use Cameras (SUC).
You may know them as disposable cameras.
During my time at Kodak I remember folks in the Consumer Division’s marketing team trying to introduce the term Single Use Camera into the vernacular.
It’s certainly a more environmentally friendly term than disposable camera.
Unfortunately, the proverbial horse had well and truly bolted by this time.
Despite the fact that Kodak went to considerable trouble to recycle and reuse various elements within their SUC cameras, my friends in marketing were unsuccessful in their attempt to remove the term disposable camera from the Australian marketplace.
“My heroes are ordinary people who live extraordinary lives.”
I remember Alana had sent out an email to friends and family, requesting financial support to enable her to purchase the cameras and fund the subsequent processing of the photos created by these young kids in Kwa-Zulu Nata.
Her efforts were rewarded and the AUD $1,050 raised allowed Alana to run several photography workshop, involving local kids, during her self-funded visit to South Africa.
I understand that participants used their photos as reference points from which to produce paintings.
The healing powers of art are well documented, indisputable and critically important to poor and disadvantaged people all around our world.
And healing was precisely what was needed in Kwa-Zulu Nata.
In fact the area in which Alana was working is known as the Valley of a Thousand Hills where, at that time, 50% of the population were HIV positive and 40% unemployed.
Embrace The Healing Power Of Photography
Growing up in such an environment must be incredibly difficult, which is why such programs are so greatly appreciated by the local community.
As well as a pleasurable pursuit, art provides a powerful way by which local children can express their joy and aspirations for a better life.
Photography can also help children make sense of their lives, despite the hardship and lack of opportunities their environment places upon their young shoulders.
Help the Poor: How to Deliver Positive Change
I saw great value in this program and Alana and Rebecca are to be commended for their efforts to help these poor young children in rural South Africa.
They accomplished a lot and made a real and positive difference to the life of these kids. And they did so by empowering these young folk to tell their stories and explore their local environment through the joy of creative photography.
I was really pleased to be able to contribute to this endeavour by producing an education based presentation, showcasing inspirational photos and text, to support Alana’s teaching.
Young boy in the village of Maria Purem near Chennai, India.
Taking Action By Taking Photos
You know how it is. We all want to help, but don’t know how.
Giving money is always good, but there are so many other ways we can help.
Why not employ photography to spread the word about life, family and the aspirations of everyday folk around our world?
I photographed this young boy, standing in the doorway of his home in the village of Maria Purem, near Chennai in India.
The building of the village, a small number of dwellings and a community hall and worship space, taking up not much more than a narrow laneway, was a project my mum funded many years ago through her charity business, Namaste.
I was accompanied by a local Catholic nun during my visit to Maria Purem. Her role was that of interpreter and to explain to folks why I’d visited their village.
Keen to make photos, primarily to share with my siblings and my mum’s grandchildren and great grandchildren, I’d been given permission by an adult in the village to do so.
The young boy in the above photo may well have heard me approaching and walked out into the light of the alleyway to investigate.
As I’d already been given permission to make portraits in the village, it was a simple matter of ensuring the young lad was also okay with me doing so.
My practice, when there’s no common language, is to lift my camera upwards, just below my eyes, and, at the same time, tilt my head down, ever so slightly.
It’s a gesture I first made, many years ago, when asking permission to make a portrait of a stranger. It was a totally intuitive action, made with sensitivity and humility.
It worked and, as a consequence, I’ve used it ever since.
Being able to respond to the moment, and ever so quickly construct no more than a handful of images, is what gives this photo of a young lad in the doorway of his family’s home a candid and spontaneous feel.
If you’d like to learn more about candid photography please take a look at the post I created titled Kolkata Photo Experience: Fantastic Street Photography Awaits
You should also enjoy my post titled Buenos Aires Adventure: Is Street Photography For You?
Kindness Gets You to Where You Need to Go
Please remember that, by helping others, you’re also helping yourself to live a more purpose driven and meaning rich life.
Proving direct and positive feedback, to those around us, is a great place to start.
Likewise, using your social media accounts to help spread the word about charitable work, and the positive benefits it has on an individual or a community, is a great way to add value to the charity and, dare I say, the social media platform in question.
Why so many people spend a good portion of their day forwarding silly or smut-laden emails and meaningless social media posts around the world is beyond me.
And why do so many of us take such a keen interest in the woes (weight, relationships and substance abuse) of so-called celebrities?
Maybe, once in a while, we should do our bit to spread some good news around the world.
The internet is a powerful tool and it costs nothing to bring some joy into the lives of others.
And it all starts with acts of kindness and by taking action to bring about positive change to people all around our world.
In doing so you’ll make a positive difference by helping to bring attention to the good work done by others. What’s more, it feels good to do so.
We’re all so time poor, yet we don’t always use the time we have in a way that brings meaning and purpose into our lives.
Taking action to bring about real and positive change into the lives of others might just be the best thing you can do today.
For them and for you.
Please feel free to share this post widely and wildly.
Glenn Guy, Travel Photography Guru
