Changing Worlds Through Photography

OneProsper, India - Photographer: Stephanie Salvatore

Empowering Women and Children in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan

As photojournalist, much of my time has been spent covering a cross-section of cultural interactions and societal challenges surrounding food: from festivals celebrating regional fare, to organizations providing meals for those in need, to natural-disaster flooding of agriculture across the country. Where ever my camera takes me, my mission remains the same: to unearth the untold stories and give them a voice through beautiful, authentic imagery.

This year, I am proud to be working with Photographers Without Borders® to document the work of a compelling organization called OneProsper International, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women and children in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. OneProsper's mission is to break the cycle of poverty through educating women on innovative farming practices. Many of these women earn only a few dollars a day, which makes it difficult to provide sustenance for their families and send their children to school. For most families, their children stay home in order to care for the family and the spend their days retrieving water. However, through the use of advanced drip irrigation systems and rain water harvesting tanks, these women can sustain the growth of crops that thrive in the desert, like pomegranates, earn more, feed their families more nutritious food, send their children to school, and boost the local economy. 

OneProsper's first initiative establishes fundraising pages for each of the women, in order to raise the necessary means for rainwater  harvesting tanks and drip irrigation systems, which is imperative to sustain the growth of crops year-round in the harsh desert conditions. Once the funds are raised, the organization trains the women on the process of advanced drip irrigation, how to plant and sustain those crops, and helps them to install the system and begin growing! 

OneProsper has also launched a second initiative this year, which will help young girls to attend school. The organization raises funds for rain water harvesting tanks for families with young girls that do not have access to clean water. These young girls typically stay home from school because they are required to spend their days retrieving water, and because their families cannot pay tuition. This second initiative raises funds which will help their families acquire a water harvesting tank, pay for tuition, school supplies, and a bicycle for each girl. OneProsper has already raised enough funds for 30 families, and is continuing to expand their donor base.

This is an organization that is helping women to help themselves, their children and their community.

In the Fall of 2017, I will be joining OneProsper International in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan to meet the communities they are helping, to see the world through their perspective, to document the families in need, as well as the extraordinary work of this organization. With your help and donation toward the documentary of this cause, it becomes another step forward in driving the change to empower women and children, and to eliminate poverty. 

About Photographers Without Borders®: 

Every year, our photographers and videographers donate hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of their time to document the work of grassroots initiatives that are making a real change in this world where it is most needed. By capturing, honouring and witnessing humanity at its best, we are not only inspiring many, but we are forging new narratives of what is and what is possible. 

You can help by supporting our photographers and videographers (See the side bar to the right to see fundraisers for our most recent recruits).

Each of our official photographers/videographers is assigned a GroupRev fundraising page by PWB upon acceptance. These pages are a privilege we offer that are intended to make our programs accessible to all and enable our volunteer photographers/videographers to raise their program fees and subsidize or cover these necessary project-related expenses. 

The following expenses are the sole responsibility of the photographer/videographer:

• Privately arranged travel / Equipment & Equipment Insurance / Software / Extra Baggage Fees / Donation perks / Clothing / Postage/Postcard / Prints / Etc.

Photographers Without Borders® (PWB) envisions a world where we all put ourselves in each others' shoes and work together. Our mission is to inform and inspire positive change by visually communicating the ways that grassroots initiatives are addressing problems in their communities. PWB is registered as a charity in the United States with 501(c)(3) status and is registered as a not-for-profit organization in Canada. All donations are calculated in US Dollars and are tax-deductible for Americans and Canadians with US income.

PWB is not responsible for any donations made outside of these pages.

Any overage amounts raised on GroupRev will be donated with the photographers direction, 100% to the Organization, 100% to PWB or split 50/50, between the photographer's/videographer's assigned cause and PWB, which is also a volunteer-run organization.

PLEASE DONATE GENEROUSLY !

Learn more about PWB.

All donations are calculated in US Dollars and are tax-deductible for Americans and Canadians with US income.