Vicky Roy
Originally from West Bengal, Vicky Roy ran away from his home and started working as a rag picker at the New Delhi Railway Station, before he was rehabilitated by the Salaam Baalak Trust, Delhi. He studied photography at Triveni Kala Sangam and then apprenticed under Anay Mann. In 2007, he held his first solo exhibition titled, “Street Dream” at India Habitat Centre; supported by the British High Commisson.
In 2008 he was selected by the US based Maybach Foundation to photo document the reconstruction of the World Trade Center in New York. As part of the program, he undertook a course in documentary photography at the International Center for Photography, New York.
His first monograph ‘Home Street Home’ published by the Nazar Foundation (New Delhi, India) released at the second edition of the Delhi Photo Festival (Sept-Oct, 2013). His solo show “This Scarred Land: New Mountainscape” was exhibited at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, India in 2017. He was a part of Houston FotoFest Biennnial and Kochi Muziris Biennale in 2018.
He was awarded the MIT Media Fellowship in 2014. He was a part of the Forbes Asia 30 under 30 list in 2016.
Ejaz
Ejaz, who is originally from Bihar, ran away from his home because his father wanted him to become a Maulvi (priest), just like him. Ejaz wasn’t interested in such a life. Tired of his father's beatings, he hopped onto a train which landed him at New Delhi Railway Station. Ejaz survived by working in a shop selling locks, near the Station. One day he met a man who told him about an NGO, Don Bosco Ashalayam. He went there and felt very happy. His father came to know where he was and he took him back home after staying there for 4 years. He was again forced to follow his father’s footsteps. It was only a matter of time when he left his home again and was back on the streets of New Delhi.
In 2012, Ejaz met a social worker of Salaam Baalak Trust, who told him about the organization and the facilities provided. He started living at Apna Ghar Open Shelter and actively participated in all the activities there. He made many new friends and started liking the place. He joined the City Walk programme in 2013 because he wanted to improve his English communication skills. Ejaz quickly learned the ropes and became a confident young boy. He also interned in a travel agency and completed his graduation. Ejaz had keen interest in Graphic Designing and wished to make a career in the same field. As they say hard work pays off – Ejaz has just been accepted to participate with full scholarship in the US Department of States’ Community College Initiative (CCI) Program. Under this wonderful opportunity, Ejaz will study graphic design in Snow College, Utah. As we send this letter to you, we are busy fitting him out with appropriate clothes and suitcase and the many exciting things needed to help him start a big chapter of his life!
Haran Kumar
Haran was born in a remote village in Madanmohanpur, West Bengal in 1985. His parents migrated to Delhi in the 1990s in search of a new life. Three years after moving to Delhi, Haran ran away from home. He survived at the New Delhi railway station doing odd jobs like collecting garbage and carrying passengers' luggage. Haran was rescued by Salaam Baalak Trust who offered him a place to live, neat clothes, and schooling. He went on to live in the shelter house for the next seven years. He also went back home and met his family but didn't not stay with them. He had decided on walking his path.
In the year 2001, he heard about an International photography workshop. Haran chose the theme of street life and went about capturing dreams, desires, and aspirations of people who lived on the street. The organizers were impressed with his pictures and congratulated him. Haran felt motivated and decided to pursue photography seriously.
Haran got his hands-on training in photography by assisting Amit Kulhar who was a member of the International Photography Workshop. Kulhar lent him a camera to learn with and gave him a grounding in the technical aspects of fashion and contemporary photography. He also met Guriender Osan at the shelter house from whom he learnt all about photojournalism, contemporary, and documentary photography.
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