Barefoot Photographers :: Photo Essay :1:

When the Social Work and Research Center, later referred to as the Barefoot College was started in Tilonia in 1971, people visiting or passing though the college, were given cameras to go out and photograph what they pleased.

These were people from remote areas who had never seen a camera, much less held one in their hands. For them, taking photographs was more to do with the ritual of posing or getting behind the lens rather than the subsequent image on a piece of paper. It afforded another avenue for celebration, laughter and dialogue.

Their pictures have resulted in an accidental document of over 30 years of life in Tilonia, from the time the college began, to the problems it addressed. Over 100,000 black and white and color images have accrued. The collection is a treasure trove of great beauty and tells a unique story of the Barefoot College.

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Find out more about the Barefoot College's various projects at: www.barefootcollege.org.