During my researches and huntings for more ideas for my final outcomes I came across a small article with a photo from a online National Geographic magazine. The photo has been taken by David Nguyen in India. There is a small description that I will post at the bottom of this page with a link. I wanted to include it in my researches on this blog as it made me think more of the life behind the waste, I decided to do a project about people working with waste but I am slowly realising that there is a lot of life after work. Even though working with waste is none of those people’s dream job, they do it and they live like that for years and it was not always for money and nearly a half of those workers are children under the age of 18. I am not able to go to a country like that to document how real it is but I am going to try to recreate it with what I have here and try to send the same message across.
“I spot a young waste picker through my lens. He holds a small shovel and wears a cloth tied over his shoulder acting as a bag. He approaches the barb wire asking me for rupees. Not until I get to take your picture I say. He stares me in the eye demanding rupees. I stare back, then bring attention to my camera. After taking the photo I show him and he continues to shout rupees at me. I give him all the change in my possession, enough to feed him for a few days. Our interaction seemed to have gathered a crowd and after I walked away he started soliciting other tourist for photos of him.
Location: Northside of Yamuna River behind the Taj Mahal Agra, India”
Martyna Jurczyszyn 