In nowhere land

• Prize
• Photographer
  Didier Mayhew, France

Sakina, Sandesh and their buddies live in tents on waste grounds. They are children of
itinerant families who come from the Tarai plains and wander in the central valleys of
Nepal, between urban and rural areas. Every day, these little nomads are left to
themselves in the camp, unprotected, while their parents seek means of survival in the
cities. They have no schooling and hang around aimlessly, torn between the joys and the
limits of their freedom. The camp surroundings are for them a playground, a place for
explorations but also for boredom. Brave and big-hearted, they are remarkably resourceful.
They make games out of nothing and support each other through the good and the bad times.
By nightfall, they wait eagerly for their parents, who return with relief.

For three years, I have followed the path of these families in seven successive camps.
After the earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, I visited them again. Although some
children and adults got injured and went to hospital, all survived the earthquake and its
aftershocks. However, their life of vagrancy has become more fragile than ever.

• 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