I’ve been told I’m a bit of a tease. I’ve been dropping all sorts of little hints – about Bolivia, Bolivian children, new plans (some scary, and some not so much) and challenging business ideas, but haven’t done anything to explain where all these thoughts are going. I’m not even sure I can even explain it right now, but it’s time. I gotta get it out there.
A bit over 4 years ago Matt and I took a three week trip to Bolivia. By the time we’d left to return to England, where we were living at the time, we’d made plans to return later that year, possibly long-term. That was until we discovered that whilst we had left for the trip as two, we had returned home as three. Well, two and a teeny-weeny bit that turned into three. Yep, Jaedon can unofficially claim to be Bolivian. 
Bolivia might seem a strange place to holiday to some. But I guess it wasn’t really a holiday. It was more like a business trip that ended up breaking our hearts.
For some time beforehand we’d felt drawn to Bolivia, knowing nothing about it at all really. We had been financially supporting a young man and his family as they worked amongst the street children in El Alto, so we did feel a tie in that regard. So in a bold moment we booked two plane tickets, organised time off work, and decided to go see what was pulling us there. I could never summarise in a blog-sized post what we went through while we were there, but we left feeling deeply confronted by the amount of children – young children – who had no home and nowhere to sleep at night, apart from the streets through which we walked by day. At 14,800 ft above sea level El Alto isn’t somewhere you want to be sleeping in the streets at night, trying to keep warm. The only way to escape the cold is to block it out, and what these eight, ten, twelve year-olds will try in order to do that is deeply saddening, and incredibly hard to escape from itself. My figures may be a little hazy, but this is life for 20% of children in this country. So we went back to England, broken hearts in hand, challenged to help do something, anything, about it.
That was four years and two children ago. A lifetime really. Another era. Another world. As life does, it’s consumed us.
We’ve been unsure for a while just how and in what capacity we can serve/work in Bolivia. The pull is definately still there, but we have two extra little people to consider now. I do feel disappointed at times that life has moved on and other things have taken priority, and even stolen some of the passion we once felt. It’s not uncommon for me to feel caught between two worlds either. I love my job – every ounce of it, and I can’t imagine ever giving my camera up, but how does that tie in with what we once envisaged our roles, even futures, to be? What does my photography do to keep any of those young Bolivian children warm at night? Not much. At the moment. But what if I could use my photography to make a difference, or even bring about a change?  What excites me at the moment is I’ve been thinking lately that just maybe I could.
There are a few photographers whose blogs I stalk. I check them every morning to see if they’ve posted something while I’ve been sleeping (as they’re mostly on the other side of the world and going about their day as I recover from mine). Some time ago one of them posted about a competition, of sorts, where the winning entry, or essay, received a $10K grant to go off and photograph something in order to bring about change. Guess where my mind went, immediately. I wasn’t eligble to enter, sadly, as I’m not a resident of the country in which the competition was being organised, but I haven’t been able to shake the idea from my head. A seed was planted the day I read that blog entry, and it’s growing wildly – though not quite out of control.
What if I could go back to Bolivia, to La Paz and El Alto, and take my camera this time. What if I could spend time documenting their lives, as it really is. What if I could bring those images back home and show you what it’s like? What it’s really like. What if they hurt your heart to look at? But what if they moved you? What if they stirred you up and got you excited too? What if you questioned what you could do to help? And what if you wondered if somehow you could make a difference? And what if, together, we could make a change?
Wow – that’s a lot of what if ’s. And, to be honest, I can’t think much past the first one at the moment. And I have no real idea how to get to that stage either. Well, actually, I do. But it involves a lot of money. Probably pretty close to 10K. Where do I get that kind of money? I don’t know. But I have a seed. Just a little itty-bitty seed. And I’m going to do my best to get that thing planted and some serious watering done.
I already have some thoughts and plans in motion, and I am genuinely excited and terrified at the same time. I believe God created each one of us with gifts, but I’ve seen so many instances where people have fallen into the trap of thinking they have to give up the things they love and are passionate about in order to do the things He’s told them to. I don’t think He rolls like that (depending what you love and are passionate about, of course). I’m thinking maybe, just maybe, there’s a reason my life’s heading down the path it is at the moment.Â
Now, I’m not really sure why I’m putting this out there. It’s quite a personal thing, really. But I’m excited about the opportunities ahead of me, and I’m looking forward to making them happen. Somehow. But I know it’s not just a me thing, and I’m not even going to try going it alone. I want to involve as many people as I can.
I plan to incorporate strategies within my business structure, which I’ll share as I go along. These may take time, which will be a test in itself as I’m not a very patient person. But if you’d like to be kept up to date, or become involved in any way, please shoot me an email using the link at the top of the page. I’d love to have others come alongside me on this journey, where ever it takes me.
With all that said (well done if you’re still with me) I’ll sign off with a couple of photos taken at the end of our trip (excuse the quality – these were the days before we’d made the bold leap into the world of digital photography). To cut a long story short (yes, I can do it) – these specific kids were instrumental in us feeling the way we do today about this country. Their faces as of now will be pinned above my monitor, so every time I sit down to edit, every time I answer an email, each time I upload a client gallery, I will be reminded. I will have faith.
Narrelle x
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