/ 2013 / Press / Feature Story

Ragpicker Boy

  • Prize
    Gold in Press/Feature Story
  • Photographer
    Didier Mayhew, France

Ramesh is a lonely street kid of Kathmandu. Every day, he collects various waste materials (primarily plastics, bottles, cardboard, iron, brass and copper) at dumpsites, riverbanks and street corners. He then tries to sell his recyclable materials as a means of survival.


Before getting into photography, Didier worked for many years with refugees, homeless and victims of trauma. His professional path, as an anthropologist and a psychologist, led him to conduct researches in the Himalayan regions where he decided to remain. Since 2009, he lives in Nepal and acts as volunteer within a local group to bring support to landless families living on the margins of Nepalese society. His immersion in the slums, the dumps and the nomadic camps made him choose to dedicate himself to photography and in particular to long-term documentaries, with a focus on social issues that remain little-known. After having documented the daily life of an itinerant group, he spent most of the year 2015 among remote families affected by the Nepal earthquake.

Awards PX3 - Prix de la photographie Paris 2014
2nd prize. Portraiture Family
3rd prize. Portraiture Culture
3rd prize. Portraiture Culture
3rd prize. Portraiture Children
3rd prize. Portraiture Children
3rd prize. Portraiture Family
3rd prize. Portraiture Other

Les Photographies de l'Année 2014
2nd place. Humanist Category

PX3 - Prix de la photographie Paris 2013
People's Choice
1st prize. Feature Story Category
1st prize. General News Category
1st prize. Children Category
3rd prize. Portraiture Category
3rd prize. Feature Story Category

Les Photographies de l'Année 2013
2nd place. Humanist Category
3rd place. Portrait Category

IPA - International Photography Awards 2013
3rd place. Country Pick