Photos: India's school for outcaste girls through the eyes of the students
When the Globe and Mail visits Prerna school in Danapur, the girls have a special fascination with the photographer and her cameras. They have rarely been photographed by their families, and at most have seen low-resolution cellphone pictures of themselves. So the images - and the process - are of great interest. On our last visit, reporter Stephanie Nolen handed over her own Canon Rebel Ti camera - and before she could provide even rudimentary lessons in how it works, a group of students had snatched it up and ran off. They photographed frantically for the next three days and their own portraits offer a quirky window into their world. They took pictures of the most intimate scenes of life at school - clapping games and lice checks and hugs - but mostly what they wanted to photograph was each other. A few girls emerged as the most enamored of the camera, and they took hundreds of close-up pictures of their closest friends, as if determined to document that they are really there, that this magical transformative moment in their lives is really happening.
Aarti’s self-portrait.
The girls enjoy free time after class.
The girls during karate practice.
A portrait of Neethu.
A portrait of Poonam.
Priyanka sits with a group of friends.
Rumi stands for a portrait.
Kranti on left with Rashmi on her shoulder.
Daulti, on left, with Phula, Rajmani (in yellow) and Nibha.
Kavita clustered with other girls in the schoolyard.
Chandrakanti, in orange, with other girls in the schoolyard.
Chandrakanti in centre with Sindhu in the red scarf to her right and Dulari on the far right.
A close-up portrait of Preethi.
Sindhu, in centre, with Pinky (in blue) during a break in the schoolyard.
Komal, on left, with Pratima.
Simbal, on left, and Jyoti hug each other.
Kushbu, in front, snaps a portrait with Ringi, in back.
Daulti, centre, surrounded by her friends including Seema on the right.
Rashmi with friends outside the school.
Hanju, standing on right, with a group of friends.
A group of girls are photographed together, from left: Neha, Baby, Poonam (bottom centre), Hanu and Aarti.
Lakshmi sits with a friend's hands on her shoulders.
A group of girls sit together outside, from left to right: Renu, Preethi (standing), Kranti, Sanpathi, Manto and Reena.
Girls perform a quick check for lice after class.