[Mio Cade] - Philippines (NGO project)

[NineEleven]

You know ... it is my duty to capture the real suffering of these people but I really hope such injustice I saw would never happen again. You and me can make it happen...if the voices are united and loud enough.

Natgeo never approach me..but President of P did.

Fabulous stuff。

The problem can only be solved by their President & politicians if they are not looking after themselves first! ;(

 

[triggerman]

Thank you, Thomas, for sharing these moving photos. Excellent work. You should make a book out of this series.

 

[ardaan]

Thanks for sharing your travel photographs, ardaan. This image reminds me of W. Eugene Smith's famous 1971 Minamata Bay photograph of a mother holding her mercury infected daughter in a bathtub. For your image, it touches me and you have had captured the emotional mood in this brotherhood relationship. The exposure and monochrome tonality are just right. 2-thumbs up!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


The very first image of the little girl titled, "My Toy" is well captured too. Her expression shown thru her eyes and the dirty face and clothing tells us alot about her childhood and her life. Another image of the little child with milk bottle. The lighting and exposure certainly created a mood. Well done! :thumbsup:

Thank you sir. I hope these images could help to change the world into a better place.

Fabulous stuff。

The problem can only be solved by their President & politicians if they are not looking after themselves first! ;(

There is some truth in it. But let put in the effort together..president, politician and common people. I have faith in the new president. But need to give him time.

Thank you, Thomas, for sharing these moving photos. Excellent work. You should make a book out of this series.

I am waiting for sponsors Anyone ?

 

[ardaan]

Hi guys,

You can find my other threads here :

Philippines - Travel and NGO project for Malaya House Foundation
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=724287

Bali - Travel and Cultural project for Abangan Kids Association
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=724222

Phnom Penh - Travel and NGO Project for Andong Village
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=724237

Malaysia - Travel and NGO project for Bajau People
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=724313

 

[ardaan]

Smoky Mountain, Tondo - The Poses!
Are the children posing ? Of course not!

They were looking for space on the garbage truck to set their feet on. The truck would ferry them deep into the garbage dump where they would be rewarded with 'treasure' if they dig deep enough :-(

 

[luosangjian]

Thanks for sharing these wonderful and touching photos...May GOD bless u and all the poor who need help.

 

[ardaan]

Thanks for sharing these wonderful and touching photos...May GOD bless u and all the poor who need help.

Thank you for the prayers! This is what I need most.

 

[ardaan]

Ulingan (Charcoal Factory), Tondo, Manila - In the Storm
It was the typical Monsoon period in Philippines where rain water just pour down as if it has not rain for century.
However hard it rain, the charcoal industry in Smoky Mountain never seemed to cease it operation. The children found comfort in the heavy downpour as the rain has washed away the dirt on their bodies.
Welcome to Ulingan, a Happy Land to the residents there.

 

[litlefiter]

Ulingan (Charcoal Factory), Tondo, Manila - In the Storm
It was the typical Monsoon period in Philippines where rain water just pour down as if it has not rain for century.
However hard it rain, the charcoal industry in Smoky Mountain never seemed to cease it operation. The children found comfort in the heavy downpour as the rain has washed away the dirt on their bodies.
Welcome to Ulingan, a Happy Land to the residents there.

WOW! your pictures inspire me everyday. you must be quite brave to shoot in the rain with your camera and all plus it is muddy Good job there! keep it up!

 

[coke x]

your pictures are so touching and at the same time, heart wrenching...
it breaks my heart to see the kids, yes especially the kids, to live in such harsh condition.
pls let us know here if you are holding an exhibition in Singapore.

 

[ardaan]

WOW! your pictures inspire me everyday. you must be quite brave to shoot in the rain with your camera and all plus it is muddy Good job there! keep it up!

Thank you for your support and taking time to browse through. My camera and lenses all got wet for many days..

your pictures are so touching and at the same time, heart wrenching...
it breaks my heart to see the kids, yes especially the kids, to live in such harsh condition.
pls let us know here if you are holding an exhibition in Singapore.

I am not sure yet... but it will be a fund raising event sponsored by a gallery and a publisher. Will keep you inform..but just follow this thread.

 

[ardaan]

Ulingan, Tondo - Scavenging
To this boy, this is his home and playground. This is his family source of income. This is what the whole family survives on.
For years young and old work the charcoal factory collecting wood and burning them into charcoal. Yes life is really tough for this boy but he knows as long the charcoal factory exists, he would survive.
How about an education? Oh yes, most of them go to school but for how long? It seems that education is just a formality process that the kids all have to go through.
Education does not ensure them a bright future as job opportunity is lacking out there.
The dump site beside which was government owned provides the people job / business opportunities. But ever since a private foreign company took over - a joint venture initiative between the government and private company - the land has been taken away and their lives are now thrown into turmoil.
The company has already taken away a large portion of the dumpsite, and the next wave would come where Ulingan (charcoal factory) would be flattened. This is the worry of the people. Everything is uncertain now. How long can they work there? Nobody knows.
You may ask how about re-education and retraining to create job opportunity in mass recycling? It is a good idea of course. But how many would be employed as machines would do most of the job. This is a teething issue.
It is bad for the people, especially children to work in this hazardous environment but at least they could feed themselves with 2 meals per day. They still have their makeshift houses where they could take shelter under the zinc roofs. But all these may be gone soon.
We are now working in helping the people further by bringing in resources for the transformation of Tondo, smoky mountain and Ulingan. In God time, we hope to galvanize more resources and foreign aid to help these residents.
So far US$10,000 has been raised in January this year for the children feeding programme and another $US5000 for the construction of an educational/church/community hall beside Ulingan. Thank to the leadership of Pastors Nixon and Cora.
More funds will be needed for the educational and feeding programmes. And we hope to raise that in the second half of the year.
I will present a series of pictures illustrating the condition of the children in Ulingan.

 

[ardaan]

Ulingan, Tondo - Charcoal Kid

 

[ardaan]

Typhoon Esther in Ulingan (charcoal) , Tondo, Manila
During the months of August to September, Northern Philippines would usually hit by the many typhoons. It is like one typhoon after another.
I am not sure if anyone as crazy to capture pictures of Ulingan, Aroma and Smoky Mountain during this period. May be I was insane, but I just wanted to know life of people during typhoons. What would the people do? What would be the damages? Would it destroy the construction project that we were doing?
I will reveal all the answers through my photos in next few days.

I was also fortunate to meet famous Magnum photographer, Rahgu Rai over dinner last week.

To Raghu,
Thank you for your gift of a well documented book about Calcutta. It was a pleasure to know you and to learn about your philosophy in documentary photography. I believe you and me has a common mission, that is dedicated ourselves and photography to humanity.
God Bless you Raghu!

 

[ardaan]

Typhoon Esther in Ulingan (charcoal) , Tondo, Manila - Working in the storm
This photo helps to answer my curiosity about life during the storm in Ulingan (charcoal factory).
I mentioned in my previous photo that I am not sure if anyone as crazy to capture pictures of Ulingan, Aroma and Smoky Mountain during the storm. May be I was insane, but I just wanted to know life of people during typhoons. What would the people do? What would be the damages? Would it destroy the construction project that we were doing?
The answer is obvious. They continue to work! The children even used this opportunity to wash their shirts and bodies!

 

[ardaan]

Typhoon Esther in Ulingan (charcoal) , Tondo, Manila - Abandoned chair and forgotten childhood
To this little child, this is his playground and home.
Even thunder storm would not drench his spirit.
He was playing with mud and flood water.
Probably he might not have seem a PSP in his life before but he was contented with what he already processed.
On the other hand our more fortunate city children have almost anything that they could demand from their parents but how many kids know or remember what happy childhood is?
We have forgotten that happy childhood is supposed to be free and not to be controlled by the modern or newest PSP games.
We have forgotten our sweet childhood.

 

[choomee]

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: Great inspiring series..keep them coming. They are great reminders of how lucky we have been, pampered to a great extent and provided for so much so that many do not value them at all. Many have not gone through the hardship experienced by our forefathers....

 

[xictus77]

Excellent series/:thumbsup:
We do need reminders on how fortunate we are here....

 

[filofari]

It has been a long time since I've seen such an impactful series of pictures. Thanks for sharing. I'm wondering what are some things I can do to help those children? I would love to help.

I'm very curious about how you go about taking those photos. Their emotions and life stories are shown through their faces. Do you wait for a long time for "the moment"?

 

[bookwormm]

Your shots are, i don't know what to say.
Will definitely support if you happen to exhibit your work.