Eyes on Life in South America

Life Lessons in Peru

"Portrait of a Woman" by Angie

It’s always interesting to see what my students capture when I give them cameras for the first time. I am just as eager to see their results as they are, sometimes more eager than my own snapshots.

I give the students briefings on the “rules” of photography before we go out on assignment, then during the creative process they realize: there are no rules. We inflict them upon ourselves and rules are limiting, especially when it comes to thinking outside the box. I think this excites them more, and they realize that the possibilities are limitless.

But it’s much more than just the results; It’s the entire process of making the mistakes, errors and bad judgements, that allows us to really begin to learn.

Teaching them how to turn mistakes into opportunities is one of the greatest life lessons that we can apply to everyday living and is a solid framework for overcoming fear and reaching our highest goals.

This simple formula can hopefully be applied in Peru and other developing countries. Every Nation makes mistakes, but do they have the courage to learn and recognize them, and not repeat them?

When I left Peru, my students thanked me for my patience, and told me how much they enjoyed photography and the process of creating and learning. Upon returning to Canada, I heard that some of the kids in Peru were dreaming about taking pictures high atop the rugged peaks of the Andes.

“If you can dream it, you can do it” were the last words I told them.

Below are just a few of the photographs the kids from The Bill Gates School in Peru captured in March 2009.