children and poverty

Photographs in the "Rural Poverty" story were taken for the non-profit group Save The Children, USA in 2001, for a book and policy report documenting chlldren and rural poverty in the United States. Children in rural communities in Appalachia, the Central Valley of California, the Mississippi Delta Region and the Navajo Nation/Reservation were interviewed and photographed as a part of the project. Writer Wendy Nadel and photographer Bob Winsett (www.bobwinsett.com) were major contributors to the project.

Along with documenting the poverty and struggles of the children, the project's intent was to highlight the positive changes these communities were taking to improve opportunities for the children. In Mississippi, teenagers mentored younger children; young girls in the Central Valley were encouraged to learn the violin as well as the traditional dances of their native Mexico. On the Navajo Nation, young children attended tutoring programs and enrolled in classes to learn their native language.