Camera shoots cheer into lives of differently-abled

Newton Sequeira
Panaji: Like any eight-year-old, Crystal Rodrigues loves gadgets, and his favourite seems to be a camera, which he uses to indulge his hobby of photography. The device is no point-and-shoot staple; the Agasaim-lad has a penchant for professional digital single-lens reflex cameras, and his photographs capture local culture and everyday aspects of life.
But that’s not what makes him special. Crystal is a differently-abled child, and his four photos are among 49 being exhibited by 20 differently-abled children and two differently-abled adults at an exhibition at Kala Academy. Crystal’s shot of a Lord Ganesha idol is on the poster announcing the exhibition.
“Till a few years ago Crystal could not walk,” says mother, Philomena Rodrigues, “We had to operate on his hands and feet and had to remove the cataract in his eyes. He still can’t talk.”
Crystal, oblivious to our conversation and his mother’s appreciative gaze, is busy tinkering with a press photographer’s Nikon D90. “Nobody trained or taught him photography,” says Philomena, “The first time he clicked a picture (the Ganesha idol) was in September.” The keen interest in photography has amazed both his parents and his special educators at Caritas-Goa. The NGO has been working for the last 30-odd months with the 22 differently-abled persons, aged between 18 months and 24 years, sometimes even visiting them at home. The project was initially in collaboration with another NGO, Sense International (India).
Reflino Fernandes, a coordinator with Caritas, says, “Four months ago, we came up with the concept of teaching these young people photography, but when we approached special schools, we did not receive a positive response.”
Undaunted, the NGO decided to go ahead and hold a two-day photography workshop. They hit a roadblock when it came to finalizing a suitable resource person. Where do you find an excellent photographer who can also teach children with special needs? In this time and age, you turn to Facebook. Through the social networking site, Caritas-Goa got in touch with Rajen Nair, a photojournalist, who also teaches photography as an art form to the deaf in Mumbai.
Most special schools had expressed doubts about teaching photography to participants who were either mentally challenged or were deaf, dumb and blind. School administrators were also concerned that the expensive equipment would be damaged and they would have to foot the bill.
“I had doubts myself, but today, we are amazed,” says Fernandes, “In the first one hour it was difficult to get their attention. They seemed lost.” But, once the participants got their hands on the camera and saw the instant appreciation they got for their work, they quickly caught on and honed their skills through trial and error. “The fact that they could do it pushed them,” says Fernandes.
The results are there for all to see at the exhibition at Kala Academy. So good are the photographs that one was bought even before the exhibition opened to the public. The exhibition concludes on Friday, October 24, and the proceeds from it will be used to support Caritas-Goa’s continued work with the 22 differently-abled persons, says Fernandes. Since Sense International (India), who were to fund the project for three years, have dropped out, every rupee earned will help those like Crystal to continue to develop their special skills.