Sparking Awe and Wonder, One Photo at a Time in Kyrgyzstan
Written by Office of Alumni Affairs Intern Rebecca Heath
This summer, two ExchangeAlumni set out to empower youth of semi-nomadic tribes through photography and astronomy in the mountainous regions of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Their Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF) initiative, Son-Kol Cosmos Photo Camp, aimed to cultivate photography skills in rural, underserved communities with limited access to education. 15 students participated in the four-day, interactive program, which connected cosmos science and storytelling underneath the sky of Son-Kol Lake.
“This camp was a way to bring in or inject some energy into storytelling and our own environments,” said ExchangeAlumni Sophie Dia Pegrum.Sophie, a cinematographer who previously participated in the Fulbright National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship, teamed up with National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) ExchangeAlumni Eleanor Pugh to launch the photo camp.
During the program, students gained access to professional camera equipment. Afterwards, they had the opportunity to bring it to their yurts for a night to document and share their own stories with the world.
“I was amazed at what these youngsters did,” Sophie said.“We couldn't believe how excited they were, they got to look at the moon through telescopes as well. And we really involved, not just the children themselves, but the whole community.”
Throughout her career as a documentary filmmaker, Sophie said her work has largely centered around communities, stretching from remote regions in Nepal to Kyrgyzstan. She aims to extend beyond the notion of simply amplifying stories, and stresses that the exchange of stories empowers both filmmakers and their subjects.
Prior to leading the photo camp this summer, Sophie focused on documenting the stories of women in the Kyrgyz Space Program as a National Geographic Fellow. There, she initially learned about the unique concept of photo camps from fellow National Geographic explorers.
In her CDAF with the photo camp students, Sophie strove to evoke the same sense of wonder that has always driven her and her projects.“I certainly remember the first time I looked up at the sky when I was a kid,” Sophie said. “It was a sort of inspiring moment and also a moment of terror, kind of, in the sense of you're everything and nothing all at once. I feel like we get lost in this world with…so many distractions, and the sky itself can be a sort of reminder of who we are without borders.”
At the culmination of the program, each student created a photo book, which was recently exhibited in a cultural center in Bishkek, has been spotlighted on the project’s Instagram account, and will soon be showcased in the U.S. Sophie also plans to create an online exhibit to increase visibility of the students’ achievements on a broader scale.
Sophie described the camp as a “pilot” program that she hopes to launch in other regions following the “remarkable success” of its first iteration, and she hopes the students’ experiences has empowered them to share their own stories and even become role models in their communities.
“Storytelling itself is an incredible way to make a difference,” Sophie said. “As I say, it's world making in its own way.”
