New York photojournalist Zana Briski traveled in India in 1995 set on photographing “the harsh realities of women's lives female infanticide, child marriage, dowry deaths and widowhood.
Briski discovered that over 7000 women and children live in Calcutta brothels. She decided to spend the next two years finding a way to live among them and photograph them to hope for some understanding of their lives.
The children are some of the lowest of India's caste system. They were taken with Briski and her camera and she soon found herself teaching them how to shoot their own photos. She brought point and shoot cameras and the resulting images led to Kids with Cameras.
The mission of this organization is ultimately to bring hope to the children that are ignored by society.
"Kids with Cameras is a non-profit organization that teaches the art of photography to marginalized children in communities around the world. We use photography to capture the imaginations of children, to empower them, building confidence, self-esteem and hope. We share their vision and voices with the world through exhibitions, books, websites and film. We are committed to furthering their general education beyond photography either by linking with local organizations to provide scholarships or by developing our own schools with a focus on leadership and the arts."
A documentary about Briski and her mission called Born in Brothels won an Oscar for Best Documentary and is airing in August on HBO. There is a book featuring the kids photos and prints are available from the organizations website.
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