United Nations – Humanizing Development Campaign

My photo Women in the Plaza – Combapata, Peru, was one of 50 selected – from thousands of photos from over 100 countries – to represent the United Nations Development Programme and their Humanizing Development campaign.

The photos will be published in a book sponsored by the Presidency of Brazil, and are currently on exhibit at the headquarters of the United Nation’s International Policy Center for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) in Brasilia, Brazil.  The exhibit will tour major international cities throughout 2010, including NYC, Bangkok, London, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg and Bonn.

According to the IPC-IG, “The meaning of ‘Humanizing Development’ cannot be expressed in numbers. It shows examples of people winning the battle against poverty, social exclusion and marginalisation. It calls for the humane face of development. It spreads hope, initiative and determination. It transmits inspiration to each of us and feeds our dream of transforming the world we live in into a just place. A world that enables all of us, regardless of our birth place, social and economic status, sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion and ideology, opportunities to fulfilling our potential as individuals, human beings and members of our society.”

As a photographer dedicated to documenting the work of  humanitarian organizations throughout the world, I’m extremely thrilled and proud to have been selected for this honor, and can’t wait to see the exhibit in NYC.

The women in the photo are queued in the main plaza of Combapata, Peru to receive monthly Juntos program benefits. The Juntos (Together) program, a conditional cash transfer (CCT) government program, provides cash to the poorest families if they meet certain criteria. Recipients must have children under the age of 14, enroll their children in school and have them vaccinated. Pregnant mothers are required to utilize mandatory pre- and post-natal healthcare programs. Peru’s Juntos program, similar to CCT programs in other Latin American countries, was launched in 2005.  I captured this image on my way to Huinchiri to see the annual reconstruction of the Keshwa Chaca, the last remaining traditional Inca straw bridge.  That journey was detailed in this post.