From paying tribute to Poonam Bir to training the marginalised community in photography–our top stories of the week

In 2019, Chennai-based photographer Palani Kumar started pooling in funds from his photography projects to train fisherwomen and marginalised children in photography to capture moments from their day-to-day lives. Many of the children, who come from across his hometown Madurai and from the slums of Chennai, are first-generation school-goers and graduates training to become journalists.

During a government school engagement programme on manual scavenging, Kumar witnessed the candour and ingenuity in children that replaced the rescuer mentality and sympathy that often coloured the lens of adult photographers—especially those outside the community.

So far, 30 young men and women have trained to become photographers through Kumar’s workshops.

Read more here.

Poonam Bir passes away

Poonam Bir Kasturi, Founder and Designer of Daily Dump, a startup making composting products, passed away on Thursday, May 9, at the age of 61. Popularly known as “compostwali”, Kasturi was a social entrepreneur who worked towards revolutionising waste management in India. She dedicated herself tirelessly for 18 years to shift mindsets regarding waste and simplify the process of composting.

Many other internet users also expressed their grief over the news.

Kasturi, a graduate of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, started Daily Dump in 2006. The startup makes composting products designed to change mindsets around waste and the ease of composting in India.

It offers a range of products, including composters, composting accessories, gardening products, books, and zero-waste products like bags and combs.

Meanwhile, in other news...

Extending a helping hand

Jaspreet, a 10-year-old boy, has been running his father’s streetside food stall after his father’s demise. His video was first shared by food vlogger Sarabjeet Singh, also known as Mr Singh Food Hunter, on Instagram, as reported by the Indian Express.

Since then, it has garnered much attention from the netizens. Business tycoon Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, took to X and said, “Courage, thy name is Jaspreet. But his education shouldn’t suffer. I believe he’s in Tilak Nagar, Delhi. If anyone has access to his contact number, please do share it. The Mahindra Foundation team will explore how we can support his education.”

Following his footsteps, Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor also extended financial support to the child.

In an Instagram story, he wrote, “With a smile on his face, he’s facing life ahead and all that will come with it…. I salute this 10-year-old for having the courage to stand up on his own two feet and take over his father’s work within 10 days of him passing away. I would love to help him out with his or his sister’s education; if anyone knows about his whereabouts, do let me know (sic).”

Promoting wildlife preservation

Wildlife SOS and the Maharashtra Forest Department together have reunited 110 leopard cubs with their mothers from January 2007 to date. They celebrated this achievement on International Leopard Day on May 3.

“On International Leopard Day, Wildlife SOS and Junnar Forest Division call for continued support and collaboration in conserving leopard populations amidst growing urbanisation and habitat loss. Together, we can ensure a safer and brighter future for these magnificent creatures and the ecosystems they inhabit,” said Amit Bhise, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Junnar Division, as reported by Pune Mirror.

Geeta Seshamani, Co-founder and Secretary of Wildlife SOS, said, “The reunification process is crucial for the cubs as it allows them to acquire essential survival skills from their mothers, including hunting and adapting to the wild. Without maternal guidance, these cubs face a major challenge in their journey to independence.”