Arumugam, 19, is a school dropout. A machine operator at a shoe factory, he has learnt to take photographs. Along with his neighbours Asha, Mani, Saraswathi, Radha and Sita, Arumugam learnt to use a digital camera from Sumeet Malhotra, a volunteer from Association for India’s Development (AID).

A few technology savvy AID volunteers had transformed a dingy room in the slum of Sudarshan Layout, off Bannerghatta Road as their tuition centre. The Ambedkar Community Computer Centre (AC3) was started almost two years back. They have been equipping the poor children and youth in the nearby area with the basic computer skills, using free software on the GNU/Linux platform.

The photography sessions were part of a project by AID volunteers and volunteers of Free Software Movement Karnataka (FSMK). Photos taken by the AC3 youth were recently exhibited at the National Conference for Free Software held in Bangalore on March 20 and 21st.

Says Arumugam, "The photo exhibition was a way to show to the world that there are people who live in the slums. I have tried to capture the pictures of my world. Today people in the slum call me to take photographs of local weddings and functions. I feel encouraged by the warmth of people out here."

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Photographs by Arumugam, Asha, Mani, Saraswathi, Radha and Sita, all residents of Sudarshan Layout.

Inputs provided by Lavanya Devdas and Balaji Kutty, AID volunteers. For more click here.

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