Bolivia: Perspective Shift
When people ask me how my trip to Bolivia was, I often say, “It was intensely amazing.” But, how can a sentence really describe the experience in a brief passing while shuffling kids to and from activities or in the grocery store?
The road to Toro Toro, a 6.5hr bus ride along a dirt and cobble stone road. Thankfully, we stopped to take lots of photos!
The truth is that the whole trip was a huge perspective shift for me – from my heart to my mind. I found it was easier to digest the whole experience as a mother than a photographer. I’m not really sure why, except that is who I am at my core: a mother first, photographer second. That is why I shared about the trip on my Mommy blog first, “What Bolivia Showed Me.”
And, I still think the most powerful lesson was that:
“I discovered that photography is a powerful tool to connect us across language and social status, almost as if it’s a form of communication all it’s own. It starts with a smile. And that moment in photography where you can feel the connection in a person’s eyes exists no matter the conditions.”
The trip really nailed the truth for me – that I love photography. And, I love using it in a way that connects us, that helps us have compassion for others.
Working with our interpreter, Abi, instructors: Andrew Nicodem and Benjamin Edwards.
Workshops With Purpose gave us an incredible opportunity to learn in real world conditions. Partnered with Food For The Hungry, we worked from a shot list as if we were on an assignment for their Little Ones Project. We worked with interpreters and saw the work being done to eradicate the high infant mortality rate and fight childhood malnutrition.
The local school, Rodeo Escalon, hosted a community garden where students and their families learned about diversifying crops, and sponsored children could learn up through 8th grade.
It was a beautiful thing to see mothers and fathers becoming empowered and educated about irrigation, nutrition and growing more diverse foods to feed their children. And, it was really powerful to work with the Food For The Hungry staff to see how passionate they are to do the work. These jobs are not what we have come to expect from traditional American jobs – they go above and beyond a job title.
Rodeo Escalon – a hand washing station with water purified by the sunshine.
What impressed me the most about Food For The Hungry is that they have an exit plan – a frame work to empower the people and enable them to support their community. They aren’t a big organization that expects to hand out bags of food or medicine. They connect the community to do the work within the country.
When I asked him to pick out his favorite vegetables from the family garden, he picked carrots!
This little one’s family is being helped by Food For the Hungry to diversify their crops and learn more about nutrition.
I am grateful beyond words for having the opportunity to attend Workshops With Purpose and follow my heart. Yes, I do love non-profit photography and will look for ways to integrate this kind of work into my business before my retirement years!
©Susan Goldman Photography A photo of me walking along a Papaya farm devastated by a hail storm.
Some smaller side lessons the workshop taught me:
1. I can take a cold shower and not freeze to death.
2. I like Llama meat.
3. Thunder and hail storms are breath-taking and livelihood crushing.
Whenever we get the chance to talk in person, feel free to ask me more about those side lessons!
xo,
Holli
