World Nomads - Brazil

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Sunday, October 17, 2010 | flickr photos

Having only turned 21 this year, I have not yet had the chance to travel to as many places as I would like, as time and money limits me. I want to experience every culture and aspect of the world that we live in, from the poorest parts of the world to the hidden treasures off the beaten track.

Earlier this year I went on my first solo trip, in which I travelled in Brazil for about 2 months. It was the first time I had travelled alone and it was quite daunting and also an exciting challenge, as I did not know anyone or speak the language.

The first part of my trip was volunteering for 2 weeks at the day-care in Rochina, the largest favela in Rio de Janeiro. It was an eye-opening experience immersing myself with the local people who had so little but were so opening and welcoming. The kids were absolutely gorgeous and so trusting; running up to give me hugs each morning. They are also taught to be very independent from a young age and appreciate what little they had. The first time I saw a man keeping watch with a gun, was a bit of a reality check although I still found it hard to connect the children and people that I met there with this other aspect of favelas, the crime and the drug trade.

With my photos I wanted to show not just the poverty that is in the favelas but to show hope; that things can change and that this change starts with the children of Brazil.

Winning this scholarship would give me insight into travel photography, as it’s something I have not done much of. I only bought my DSLR at the start of this year and have not had a chance to learn all the technical aspects of photography, for now I enjoy photography for the sake of photography and hopefully with time the skills will follow.