honorable mention
Lucas Damiani uruguay
title
The World's Eagerest Little Learners
These kids come from various villages around Nathong and the Nam Song River, in Laos, a poor, landlocked and often forgotten country in the heart of Southeast Asia.
But why are they so keen? What drives them to cycle a few extra kilometres every day and come straight after 7 hours of school? And on top of that: smiling?! Maybe while they are still young and naive it's all about the coloured pencils and crayons, the fun activities organized by a mixed group of volunteers, or the wide range of books that fill the rustic shelves of SAELAO, a project that provides a holistic model for sustainable development: organic farming, biogas, eco-building, and is committed to empowering the community through employment, English lessons and education. But as they grow older they become even more avid, because it's when they come to the sad realization of the fact that education is their only way out. 'I don't want to be a rice farmer'- one of them said to me, while the others nodded and finished copying from the board.
This set of pictures tries to grasp the little ones' unspoiled curiosity and easy smiles and their genuine willingness, enthusiasm, and joy towards discovering and learning, spontaneously revealed all over their expressions and particularly in that inspiring sparkle in their eyes.
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entry description
-'What? They're here already?'- the new volunteers look at their watches and at each other in a state of perplexity. Some of us, having spent a few weeks or months there, have got accustomed to seeing this parade of shy tiny smiling faces arriving around an hour early to class. 'The eagerest little learners in the whole world'- someone says, and we all agree.These kids come from various villages around Nathong and the Nam Song River, in Laos, a poor, landlocked and often forgotten country in the heart of Southeast Asia.
But why are they so keen? What drives them to cycle a few extra kilometres every day and come straight after 7 hours of school? And on top of that: smiling?! Maybe while they are still young and naive it's all about the coloured pencils and crayons, the fun activities organized by a mixed group of volunteers, or the wide range of books that fill the rustic shelves of SAELAO, a project that provides a holistic model for sustainable development: organic farming, biogas, eco-building, and is committed to empowering the community through employment, English lessons and education. But as they grow older they become even more avid, because it's when they come to the sad realization of the fact that education is their only way out. 'I don't want to be a rice farmer'- one of them said to me, while the others nodded and finished copying from the board.
This set of pictures tries to grasp the little ones' unspoiled curiosity and easy smiles and their genuine willingness, enthusiasm, and joy towards discovering and learning, spontaneously revealed all over their expressions and particularly in that inspiring sparkle in their eyes.
about the photographer
Lucas Damiani Armand Ugon is an Uruguayan young freelance photographer that has spent the last 12 months travelling and living life in it's fullest, dedicating as much time as he could to doing what he loves the most: to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of each culture, place, and moment... And happily taking the challenge of trying to fit these dinamic, living, and ephemeral wonders into static paintings of reality through the lens of his camera.back to gallery
