Between February and March 2011, with the support of The Patatas, I conducted a photography workshop with some 34 students in Nepal, most of which were from underprivileged backgrounds. During the month-long course, students kept a journal of the lessons they learnt and the reflections they experienced. This is an excerpt from the journal of one of my students, Yelissa Joshi.

Yelissa does a study of patterns and textures in the environment around her with this photograph of a spiral staircase.23 February 2011: Today was our first day at the workshop. Walking along the street, I clicked the road as a straight line. Returning back, I clicked the bars along the road. When I was clicking pictures I found many small things that were interesting to me. When I captured them in my camera, I found them even more interesting. I clicked the picture of a street light as a pattern of a triangle. I clicked the picture of the sun as a pattern of a circle. It was quite a good experience clicking these pictures and thinking as a photographer.

26 February 2011: Today is Saturday and we are given an assignment on the topic "Mother" so I followed my mother around and just clicked her picture. I was just walking around with my mother and observing her activities. It was a very wonderful experience for me. The best I have ever gained.

Yelissa does a study of lines and patterns in the environment with her photographs of mountains and sunsets.

3 March 2011: This day we submitted our assignment "Mother". My mom was sewing so I captured it in my camera. She was in her own mood and devoted toward her work.

I submitted five pictures with caption. Debby didi taught us to grasp the emotion and click the picture. She showed us lots of pictures with different moods and views. What do these pictures reflect and all. I also grasped some ideas about how to make pictures more meaningful and capture the "wow" sound out of people's mouths.

We received our next assignment, "People in their Environment". I planed to go somewhere for else, so let's see what will this topic lead me to.

After the class was over, some of us were still in the school. We saw a beautiful view of sunset so I just clicked it with different views stading in the same place. Sometimes placing the sun on the side, sometimes in the middle, sometimes using zoom, sometimes capturing houses too. I liked the one with the sun on the side, the lines of the mountains and the tress. And after that we returned home.

Yelissa Joshi4 March 2011: Today Debby didi was going to show us the pictures which we have clicked for the assignment "Mother". She told us that she selected one picture from each of us and I was wondering which one of my pictures will be selected and which one picture will win.

I was waiting for my pictures to come but it came last because Debby didi was going by alphabetical order and my name starts with a Y. I didn't expect that picture of mine to be chosen because I was expecting another picture to be choosen. I don't know how to write a caption so I just wrote a sentence. She taught me how I can correct my caption and I noted it down.

Sumeet dai showed us a photo essay about a family working in a brick factory who has lost a three month old baby and had just returned from a hospital. The pictures were in black and white but their emotions were colourful. Those pictures captured their emotions, their sorrow, and feelings. I hope the family can overcome their grief and have a better life. This photo essay by Sumeet dai encouraged me also to make an essay.

Yelissa is enrolled in the Underprivileged Girls Education Support Program (UGESP) established by the Little Sisters Fund. The workshop is a joint project by theasiamag.com, the Little Sisters Fund, Takshashila Academy, and The Patatas.