Growing up in India, one thing you can't miss is seeing millions of people dependent on clean drinking water. You'll see lines of people swirling around villages, waiting for trucks to deliver much needed water. Or, another common sight are clusters of women (I've almost never seen guys do this for some odd reason), carrying heavy pots of water on their heads, from wells or hand-pumps to their homes. I've also witnessed people eking out a living in parched landscapes thanks to an extended drought and corrupt politicians whose policies almost always fill their own coffers. It's enough to make me feel blessed with what I have access to on a daily basis.
Water has been on my mind for a long time and because we are all equally dependent on it for our very survival, I figured this was the year that I would step up and offer my services to Thirst Relief International for their annual mentor auction that kicks off on February 6th. I join over 50 other photographers who have chosen to donate their time and even some goodies for those who bid and win the Ebay auction. Lots of details about how you can find and work with a photography mentor here.
As I said, there are lots of choices and some truly amazing and generous photographers. While I am not asking you to bid only on my mentor auction, I would be thrilled to work with you.
I wanted to know more about Thirst Relief and so I asked Adam McKibben, the organization's Director of Communications to take a few minutes to discuss how the group came to work with photographers and what its plans were for the future. I suspect what you are about to hear will inspire you.
