Hello -
Last year during one of my many trips into rural Thailand and Laos
I ran across two elderly ladies running a very primative rice farm.
It wasn't especially large, just big enough to sustain a small
family.
As a fellow E10 owner
I'm working with a Christian drug
rehabilitaton center in Chiangrai, helping Akha and Lahu opium
addicts.
My Thai isn't that great, especially with some of the northern
dialects, so at the time I took this picture I took my usual notes
to be translated later. I took the first image because I thought
it would make a decent environmental portrait.
I assume it was taken with an E10, even if not, the E10 is highly
capable when used for environmental portraits.
Now, months later, I'm sitting here tonight translating my notes
and I finally understand her full story. From an early age, she
said right after "she became a woman" which I take to mean able to
get pregnant (11-13), she was taken as a slave and forced into
prostitution and then later as she aged (rapidly I'd assume) into
slave labour in the fields. She talked a lot about chains, but at
the time I didn't understand it to mean chains, but "bound."
Looking at the picture very closely I can now see where the
"chains" were secured to her wrist to the point of deformity.. I
can't believe I missed this at the time, usually I'm pretty good at
this stuff.
I know what you mean especially it is still socially "acceptable"
for parents to let their young daughter go into prostitution to
help support the family.
Now she and her "sister" (no relation, just another survivor) farm
a small 2 rais of land and sell enough rice (cow) for a simple
life.
On the other hand, you photos narrative have shown them as people
who may be poor, and gone thru much hardship, but have dignity in
their life. This is comforting. Regarding your comments later on
self-serving charities, I empathise with your convictions. There's
often crooked things or people mingling with the honest and decent,
isn't it. If only the world is perfect!
If I would have known at the time of her earlier plight I
would have left her significantly more baht than I did for a
standard interview..
Sometimes things happen that make you realise how very lucky we are
to live in places where we can sit her on out computers and talk
about purchasing expensive cameras whicih would probably cost more
than a small farm in many places in the world..
Indeed! So we try to use the expensive tools for something good.
Taking photos like that, eg
Sometimes I'm not sure whether to feel lucky or guilty for being
born in America.. I know that sometimes my work is used to illicit
contributions, especially when my assignments are very clear,
provide images of the worst there is. I used to resent that, but
not tonight..
Sometimes it comes to a stage, where material comforts and riches
doesn't matter that much. Matters of the soul is so much more
precious.
