Stairs

Storytelling 101

photo.circle is organizing an intense 6 week workshop tilted "StoryTelling 101".

Dates 1st June - 13th July
Application deadline: 5pm, Sunday, May 27th 2012.


For details: http://www.photocircle.com.np/workshops/storytelling-101/

Hima - A story of a little girl.

HIMA

Hima, now 10, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of one after her family sensed something was wrong with her. Her condition was termed “developmental delay” which meant she could not develop in the same way as other kids of her age.  She was admitted to many schools as a child but a special school was finally found for her when she was five. She was admitted to SEID Trust, an NGO / school on September 2006.  The NGO works with children similar to Hima, and specifically targets marginalized sectors of society. After joining the school she was diagnosed with multiple disabilities as well as symptoms of autism.

The school also provides physiotherapy sessions and medication to the children. “After a little over five years here, her physical condition is almost normal now”, explains her brother, Johnny, who decided to work in the school a few years after Himas’s admission. That way he could be in contact with his sister and monitor her progress.

The story is about Hima, her struggle and the strong bond the brother and sister have developed over time.

Hima wraps a scarf around her face to scare her brother.

Her home, a rented space, doesn’t have many windows. During a regular power cut Hima lifts the curtain 

of her room to let the light in.

“The first thing that Hima does when I come home is take my mobile to listen to songs,” says Johnny.

The school also provides a rickshaw that is used to transport children back and forth between home and school.

 “If I have to work in life why not work here and help these children,” says Johnny when asked why 

he decided to work in the school. Every child in the school loves Johnny bhai.

Hima at a park. As part of the annual program the school takes the children and their guardians to the zoo for a picnic.

Hima loves watching TV and listening to songs more than anything else. When at home she spends most of her time watching TV.

 Hima falls asleep as Johnny watches TV.

 The story was produced in Dhaka, Bangladesh during an International Reportage Workshop between photo.circle in Nepal, Pathshala Bangladesh and Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Norway.

The story was also published on The Week, Republica, a national daily in Nepal on 30th March 2012. Virtual Newspaper here (center spread).