Slum children portray city via photographs

Children living in the slums are showing what it is to live in the city through a series of photographs which they have clicked. “My City Through My Eyes” is part of Habitat Photosphere, the year-long photography festival initiated by India Habitat Centre (IHC) in collaboration with Save the Children and is being displayed at the Mandi House Metro Station till September 30.

Launched along with Save the Children’s new global campaign “Every Last Child”, the exhibition captures the city as seen by children from the slu-ms of Jahangirpuri, Srini-waspuri and Madanpur Khadar. It showcases some of the critical urban challenges, such as lack of clean drinking water, risks emerging from industrial waste for resettlement colonies, status of education and health and lack of safe playspaces for children.

“The key theme of the festival is sustainable development and this exhibition ties in beautifully with it,” said Alka Pande, artistic director and curator of Habitat Photosphere. “This exhibition highlights that the environmental hazard affect ever-yone, however the most vulnerable are those children and families who are living on the streets and unauthorised slums,” she said.

“Forums such as this exhibition highlight the creative ability of portraying reality as seen from the eyes of the children,” said Avinash Kr Singh, senior manager, Delhi State Programmes, Save the Children.

“Long and Lonely Walk” is a photograph taken by children from Madanpur Khadar JJ colony and portrays a child walking on a pipe, leading to a pushta, an embankment of industrial waste from a thermal plant in southeast Delhi.

“Behind The Smoke” has been clicked by a child photographer from Sriniwaspuri slum, who takes a photo of the smoke that surrounds the area.