Tuesday 14 July 2009

Sajokaza - a 'shock' of photographs

Sajokasa is a village 30 km NE of Miskolc with a population of 3000 of which 1000 are Roma Gypsies.
The majority live in a settlement on the edge of the village - where the tarmac ends the Roma habitation begins.
The houses have no running water and no sanitation.
Sajokasa is a former mining community (dejavu!!!) where, once upon a time, there was full employment. Now there is none. Among the Roma there is practicaly 100% unemployment and most survive (not more than that) on the benefit they receive once a month.
Are we in Europe ... ? Is this the 21st Century ... ?











Bea



Gabor



Pali



Janos & Jani



Edit & Szandi





Annemarie getting 'Saturday Night Fever'.







We have brought with us a little photo-printer so that we can give back something to the people we photograph. This is incredibly popular; everybody wants to be photographed with every single relative and every baby has to be pictured with each parent and sibling individually, every tatoo has to be recorded!
When we took the first set of pictures back on Saturday, we were 'mobbed' and had to make many, many - a sok (pronounced shock) of photos - more. (trans:sok = many)
Nice pun!
Ofcourse we will run out of paper and ink soon but not before every family has a record of themselves at this precise juncture of their lives.







Anasztasia

3 comments:

  1. I've got your postcard, I was very happy! I give you a thanks on this blog, because I haven't got any adress of you. :(((
    The life in Sajókaza was so boring after you, but the new half-term period begins in a short time. I'm afraid, we won't boring!!
    I've downloaded a lot of pictures about Wales from the Net, those landscapes are wonderful, you're so lucky to live there.
    So, have a pleasant journey to Wales, take care of you.
    Thank you for the postcard,
    Judit

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  2. At present i am here in Sajokaza.. I am from India and visiting JAI BHIM NETWORK here in Sajokaza.. Can i use your pictures for my report, if you don't mind please? I will give u due credit by giving your name.

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  3. Hello Jade - good to hear from you. Yes you can use the Sajocaza photographs with pleasure.
    Hope you are enjoying your time there - we certainly did and often think about everyone and hope they are OK. Say hello from us 2.
    We are very busy at the moment making an exhibition of the work we made in Hungary. It will open in Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen, Wales on the 9th of January 2010 and then will tour Hungary later in the year.
    Very best wishes and Good luck with your report.

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