Behind the Lens – the ex-street kids of Saigon: book and exhibition

The problem of street children has become one of the most pressing social issues in Vietnam. Whilst some of the children are on the streets due to more traditional causes such as the loss or divorce of parents and poverty, there are also causes which are unique to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. These causes, related to the recent rapid economic growth in Vietnam, include families migrating to the bigger cities from rural areas to supply services such as shoe shining and the sale of small goods that urban people are unwilling to do.

To help street children break out of their lives on the street a number of shelters have opened. One of them, the Green Bamboo Warm Shelter, provides care, education and assistance to street boys in Ho Chi Minh City. The Green Bamboo Shelter helps children who have been living on the streets to learn the skills they need to be independent. Younger children receive food in exchange for attending school, and older children can stay for up to two years while they undergo vocational training. There are currently 30 children from a variety of backgrounds living in the shelter.

Working with the boys in the shelter, we wanted to show their lives from their own viewpoint rather than relying on outsiders, as well as helping the boys to develop a new skill. The photos in this exhibition are taken from the perspective of young boys and teenagers.

Kerrilee Barrett graduated with an MA in Photography from the University of Bolton, UK, in 2006, after studying on a joint programme with Dalian Medical University in China. During her Master's degree, she became interested in using participatory photography, to enable people to tell their own stories using photography rather than just showing the photographer's view.

This exhibition has been made possible by the staff and kids at the Green Bamboo Shelter in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in conjunction with ILA Community Network.