A photo-study of the child beggars in the Nepali capital, Kathmandu. Most are addicted to glue, many self-harm.
Glue sniffing is an increasingly common problem among street children across the world, from Kenya to Romania and Pakistan.
The photographer Frankie Nazardo explains why the children sniff glue, “when it’s winter, you don’t feel cold, you don’t feel hunger, and you feel like tipsy…the more you do it, the more intense the feeling gets.”
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I don’t know why you picked this to be on the site, but in my opinion it illustrates several things that are wrong with photojournalism. There is a complex story to be told here about the rise in ’street kids’ in Kathmandu, that includes a issues of politics (the 10 yr conflict and migration from rural to urban centres), economics (death of primary bread winners), social (the status and role of children within Nepalese families) and child rights (access to education and social safety nets). None of this is told by the photos. Now, maybe that wasn’t the aim, but if we are talking about the use of photojournalism to raise awareness, or even photo-activism to bring about social change, where does such a set fit in? I cannot see how this set is useful to a local NGO as there are none showing the work they do in rehabilitating kids. These type of photos would at least complement the set, showing the problem and how the NGO is a part of the solution (for fund raising, government lobby and use in promotional material). As it is, this set borders on the voyeuristic, and could be accused of exploiting the kids who have little control over access to their lives (in the photographic ethical sense). I wonder what level of informed consent was achieved, and am reminded of ground breaking participatory photographic projects run by Shaidul Alam (Out of Focus) and Jim Hubbard (Shooting Back) both done with marginalised kids that made admirable attempts to empower those they worked with.
Rob Godden
The Rights Exposure Project
Hi Rob,
I picked this set because they represent something I see as an aesthetic and editorial shift in the way these type of stories are told.
The shots first appeared in the fashion/pop magazine Dazed and Confused.
This isn’t an isolated case, Ctrl Alt Shift, is a Christian Aid project with the ex-Sleazenation editor Neil Boorman, that embraces contemporary visual language to try and engage a younger audience. Which sounds a good idea, but the reality of contemporary visual photgraphic language is that it seems intent on exploiting everything it looks at, e.g. American Apparel.
Is it possible to apply this sub-Larry Clark/Nan Godin aesthetic to development work? Is it justified if it brings in a new audience and makes them consider the lives of others? Or does it just further underline the difference between us and them?
Incidentally, at the moment I try not to editorialise too much on the front page of the site, until we get more contributors on board. However, perhaps I should, if I’m posting something that’s potentially contentious. And personally speaking I tend to agree with you about these pictures, I think they are lazy at best and exploitative at worst. I have much more time for Ctrl Alt Shift which at least provides some context to featured work.
Hi Rob,
your thoughtful and informed opinion is exactly what we’re looking for at A Developing Story. Perhaps this link would have been best on the blog where the thinking could be deconstructed. On the other hand that might not have attracted your response, which is great.
As John says we pop stuff on the front page to comment. Debate is good. Can I feel another Rob Godden post coming on, one for the blog?
Hi guys
I don’t really have a problem with the aesthetic per se. In fact, I think that the use of photo realism (Magnum style, if you like) is over used in social activism and a diversity in styles and approaches is needed to connect with younger audiences visually schooled in fashion and advertising imagery.
I also didn’t want to question why the collection was up on the site, it was more a question. It is just as useful sometimes to show what we consider bad or controversial examples as what we might term ‘best practice’.
My main reason for commenting is that I lived for three months just a two minute walk from where these children live and walked past them every day. As such, I do not think the photos give a broad enough picture of their lives, enough context to why their lives are the way they are, or what is being done locally to help them. And for me this is key IF the photos aim to positively impact on their circumstances or those who may end up in a similar situation. What the pictures do quite well is present us with a visual representation of the ‘glue high’ at night in Thamel (though a few more shots of how sleazy Thamel has now become at night would not have gone amiss). I am not sure how just focussing on ‘the high’ either aesthetically or content-wise connects constructively with the audience though?
I am a big fan of Ctrl.Alt.Shift, and their work that I have seen is rather different to this. I guess it is like the scene from Spinal Tap where the band’s album cover for ‘Smell the Glove’ is banned, “Its a fine line between being stupid and clever’.
Rob
The Rights Exposure Project