Photovoice - Cont. Part III

“Feeling good about yourself is essential to feeling good about life, but sometimes people are forced to do things that take away from their self-respect.”
Nadia, 2006

One day I saw someone approach this garbage can, take out a discarded bag and eat the garbage inside. I was shocked, and embarrassed for the person. I had never seen anyone eat from a garbage can before. I live in poverty but I have not yet been hungry enough or desperate enough to eat from a garbage can. I thought about how quickly and easily a person’s life circumstances can change to where any one of us could be forced to find our lunch in this way. There are people in the world who, every day, are forced to do such a thing. How good is that for one’s self-respect? 

All I Want for Christmas is to Participate
Lynn*, 2006

I’m not able to buy a present for a niece or nephew and I also don’t get any presents because people don’t want to make me feel bad or obligated to buy something for them.

Bad Weather
Elaine Gamble, 2006

This is a picture of me driving out to my reserve to try to get financial aid because my power and my rent was due. My husband lost his job and we’re having a really hard financial time. I had to take my kids on the highway in this kind of weather because if I didn’t, my power was going to get cut off and I wasn’t going to have a place to live with my children. It was a gamble to go out because I wasn’t guaranteed anything, and, in fact, I didn’t receive anything.

http://www.pwhce.ca/photovoice/saskatoon_intro.html