Collecting data on slum communities as part of the Poverty Survey#2 is crucial, but CR is now complementing this with an innovative project called Photovoice. In this project, CR staff gain a better understanding of their lives, their priorities and the problems they face through photographs taken by beneficiaries.
In November, Karijn Kakabeeke, a Dutch documentary photographer and experienced Photovoice trainer, flew to Kolkata for a week with Esther Sulkers, Chairperson of the Calcutta Rescue Research Collaborative, to conduct a course with students and train the outreach team.
Twenty students learned about different aspects of photography from Karijn and then went into their communities to take photos related to gender equality - a big issue in India that is directly linked to health and poverty.
They were then encouraged to talk about their photos and identify common themes before putting on a thought-provoking exhibition for staff, parents and guests.
Not only did it provide staff with important insights into the lives and views of students, but it also enabled students to develop new perspectives individually and collectively. This included that everyone should be financially independent regardless of their gender; we should not only make men financially responsible or only put women in charge of the household.
One of the students, Noor, said: "Karijn was great. She taught us the basics of photography, what to look out for when taking photos and how to communicate through photos. I didn't realize you could do so many things with photos. I took photos to show the gender norms in the slums. I really liked that."
As part of the project with the outreach team, they learned how to use photos effectively in health education using the topic of nutrition as an example.
At the same time, Karijn, who has run similar projects from Ghana to the UK, taught selected CR employees how to set up and run Photovoice projects themselves in the future and will provide online support in the coming year.