Whenever I go to India, my favourite past time is to shoot pictures. I have a mind set for "animal" and "nature" photography, but for the last few years I have developed this big interest for "Indian Slums". I drive to these areas, walk in and shoot pictures non-stop. Most of the times it is a gut-wrenching experience. Here is a picture that I took a few years ago. The girl who is sitting on the cot seems to be less than twenty, and pay attention to the number of kids on the cot! Her eyes seem to be telling a long story, that is very easy to read!
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She is around 19-21 years old. There are at least 3-4 kids on the the cot! This is a big problem. She is only one girl, but it seems that it is common in India for young girls to bear significant amount of children. This girl represents the lives of many young girls in Idia that have ALOT of kids. If girls living in India are educated, this problem MIGHT just stop or become less common. Education is key, but if educators are not present and the pupils refuse to learn, then education is worthless. Scientist HAVE to find a solution to this problem. MURDER must not be the solution that would save mankind!!!
It is sad to say that most pictures I see of India are similar to this one. I think this problem should be on the world's top priority list. Honestly, looking at that world population clock that Dr. Singh showed really scared me! I believe that these young girls should be educated (given that they DO want to be educated) on what our fate could be if this population explosion continues.
India has a huge population that lives in slums. On the other hand it is one of the largest emerging markets with high rise buildings and a growing (rich) middle class. Those are picturea that you don't see. Maybe I will post some of the stuff sometime.
Of course the education is the key. But who is going to convince the richer countries and Oprah Winfrey that this is the main issue facing our planet.
I think the first thing I noticed in this picture is how tired her eyes are. I remember seeing this look in my Gram's eyes when I went and saw her for the last time in a Nursing home...well, the last time she was conscious. After that, she had major dementia and had to be on a constant morphine drip for her pain. It was a kind of world-weary look, sort of begging for it all to stop.
it's pictures like these that make you realize just how lucky we are. i think that--especially at our age--we get so caught up in the thought process of "where am i going to go to school, so i can get a degree, so i can get a good job, so i can make money, so that i can be happy..." everything essentially leads back to our own happiness. i have seen slum poverty in mexico, particularly in tijuana. it's disgusting. yet they seem a lot happier and content with where they are and what they have than we are here in the US. funny how that works.
it's pictures like these that make you realize just how lucky we are. i think that--especially at our age--we get so caught up in the thought process of "where am i going to go to school, so i can get a degree, so i can get a good job, so i can make money, so that i can be happy..." everything essentially leads back to our own happiness. i have seen slum poverty in mexico, particularly in tijuana. it's disgusting. yet they seem a lot happier and content with where they are and what they have than we are here in the US. funny how that works.
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