Divya Shalini’s eyes shine when she’s asked what got her interested in photography. “I used to see so many nice things walking home from school, and used to wish for a camera to capture them,” said the Class VII student of Navabharath Matriculation School in T. Nagar.
Photographs clicked by Ms. Divya and four other students from the school — R. Ezeikel, M. Udhaya Chandar, W. Nikitha and M. Shamvel — were displayed at a photo exhibition organised by Karpi, an initiative facilitating and encouraging children in government schools to pursue varied interests.
Akash Madhi, coordinator, Karpi, said that the photographs were all shot in and around the area where they live — Dharmapuram.
“There is a negative image attached to areas that have slums or housing board flats and we wanted to break this wrong perception. The photos here are so beautiful, vibrant and reflect the lives of the people who live there, as seen by the students,” he said.
Stray cats; a group of workers sharing a laugh over breakfast at a tiffin stall in the locality; a small child peering into a rear-view mirror; and several portraits of friends, family and neighbours were among the photos on display.
In 2017, Karpi was started by volunteers teaching theatre and mime to students. “We want children to be able to learn whatever they want, and based on their requests, we have now been teaching them dance, music and silambam, among other activities,” Mr. Akash said. The group, at present, is working with four schools in Chennai, teaching over 340 students.
The group began teaching students from Navabharath school photography, after a request. “We started teaching them a year back and arranged for all to have hands-on experience by borrowing cameras,” said Cyril Veronis, who trained them.
