dhaka, BANGLADESH
100CAMERAS X TEACH FOR BANGLADESH
100cameras X Teach for Bangladesh is a part of a 8 class course that is custom designed by 100cameras to equip passionate creatives with the tools to empower youth in a community they care about with the opportunity to learn how to process their stories and create change.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
During the Summer of 2018, 25 remarkable students learned to tell their stories through 100cameras X Teach for Bangladesh in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In partnership with Teach for Bangladesh, a non-profit organization part of the Teach for All network that helps provide education to underprivileged and low-income areas, this program was led and taught by an incredible team of high schoolers and their photography teacher based in Virginia just outside of Washington D.C., USA.
As children of migrant workers, the families of the students are from remote villages but travel to the city to work in factory and construction jobs. Therefore, they must walk great distances to get to their school accompanied by various additional challenges to pursuing their education.
Physically, these difficulties include such examples as journeying through a trail of pollution providing risk factors to their health, needing to leave school to help take care of their families, or lacking access to basic humanitarian needs at times. During monsoon season, their schools flood up to their knees which actually prevents them from attendance.
Due to their socio-economic status, this group of students is living within a system that does not place importance on their self-expression, self-worth, or extracurricular activities. The students expressed through the program experience that they are regularly told that because they come from underprivileged families, they will not be able to achieve their dreams and make a difference in their communities.
Through these challenging circumstances, it is important to teach and encourage the students to process their experiences and to focus on their role in their own future. Through this program, students were able to tell their stories through photography.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM LEADERS
The 100cameras X Teach for Bangladesh team is comprised of high schoolers and teachers who volunteered their time, talents, experience and resources to make this program possible.
Co-Leader, Sumaiya Haque:
As a young girl of Bangladeshi heritage, Sumaiya started this program because of the wonders photography brought to her life and wanted to share it with children who don’t have the same privileges. As a senior in high school, she is also passionate about sustainability and global development and was curious to explore this unique approach to empowering underprivileged youth.
Co-Leader, Amanda Archibald:
Amanda is passionate about inspiring young people to see the world differently and empowering them to share their perspectives through photography. As a high school teacher, this program has reminded her why she began teaching art in the first place - to inspire change through creative means - and that’s the most important piece of this program for her.
Assistant, Mehran Sajjad
Mehran is a high school student whose family is from Bangladesh. This program helped her to realize how important education is, and how it is often taken for granted. Working with the kids showed her how enlightening the freedom of expression is for all. And as a photographer, she believes that while arts education is overlooked, it is important for children.
Assistant, Andrew Kim
Andrew is a high school senior who loves teaching children and doing community work. He came into this program not knowing what he was getting into, but his life was changed by these kids. It made him realize how privileged a lot of us are and how important their work was in the program. He became super close with the kids and hopes he can see them again one day.
Assistant, Ananya Amirthalingam
Ananya is a high school student who has always loved working with children as she believes they have an unfettered kind of joy that is simply addictive to be around. These kids especially! She experienced how it was wonderful traveling to a new (and for her — foreign) part of the world and seeing children who endure so much poverty and tumult have the opportunity to explore and be creative! She thinks it is important that every child gets the chance to be a kid and be creative, no matter their background.
Members of the 100cameras X Teach for Bangladesh class pose for a selfie, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2018
Follow us on social media to see images from the field as captured by the 100cameras X Teach for Bangladesh team and the student photographers.