Congratulations to the following Harvard College students, who have been chosen by The Mittal Institute as winners for the Office of International Education’s Annual International Photo Contest. Each year, undergraduates submit photos from their summer travels around the world — from study programs, grants, internships, and so on — and The Mittal Institute selects winners for photos from South Asia. The winners were announced at a reception on February 2, 2018.
Special Prize: “Washing Machine” by Beverly Brown, Mumbai, India
“Two summers ago my sister and I went on a backpacking trip through Asia. She had just graduated college, and we wanted to take advantage of her time before she started work. After much debate, we decided to go to India and Japan. We had traveled together through Europe before, but for this trip, we were looking to broaden our horizons and experience new things.
In India, we got a taste of a completely different way of life. This laundry service in Mumbai washes the clothes of hundreds of families. Workers walk around the neighborhood collecting clothes and bring them back to wash. They get to know these families so well that they have no problem keeping the clothes separated by family, since they know who owns each piece of clothing. I love how this photo captures the movement of the workers. The two men in the foreground are rinsing clothes while the man slightly behind them is throwing the cloth against the stone in the same way a washing machine would tumble its load.”
“Washing Machine” by Beverly Brown
Honorable Mention: “Festival of Saint John” by Emma Seevak, Goa, India
“I spent the summer living in Goa and interning at Sangath, a research NGO that works to improve mental health for people of all ages. One innovative strategy that Sangath uses is training lay people to deliver mental health interventions under the supervision of professionals. I spent the summer working on a qualitative project called Lay Health Workers Experiences in Task-Sharing, which focuses on the experiences of lay health mental health counselors across India.
This photo was taken during the Festival of St. John in June, around the start of monsoon season. During the festival, people traditionally jump into wells and other bodies of water. It’s a very colorful and joyous time. This photo came from a village called Siolim, which is famous for its colorful boat races. I learned so much from my time in Goa and feel so grateful for the experience.”
“Festival of Saint John” by Emma Seevak, Goa, India, Internship