Dynamic Jakarta

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Mexico | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | 5 photos

When I travel I try to be a blessing to the people I meet.
Whether it's playing with orphans in Ukraine, teaching English in China or building a house for a family in Mexico.
I take photos when I travel so that on returning, I can share my experiences with others, in the hope that they are also inspired to be a blessing.

I also study anthropology, which enables me to better understand the cultures I encounter, and to differentiate between "doing something which feels good but won't be appreciated" - an unfortunately common situation - and "actually making a difference".

This set of photos represents the time I spent in Mexico. We were in the Baja, working with a family of six who had long lived in a cardboard shack they had built from scavenged materials. our team spent a week living with them, helping the family build a sturdier wooden house.

Imagine the tough decision the father had to make when he acknowledged that he was unable to provide suitable accommodation for his family and asked for outside help. We made sure that the family was involved in building the house so that they would see it as "our house" rather than "the house we live in that those gringos built".

I travel to learn about people, but also to learn from people. If I win this scholarship, it will be fantastic and awesome to photograph and learn about South African wildlife. But for me, it will be even more awesome to learn about South African people!