Media release
Photographic exhibition takes us to the top of the world
Founder of the Australian charity Lille Fro, mountaineer and former uptown lawyer, Tamara Cannon, will display one of her greatest talents when an exhibition of her remarkable Himalayan photographs opens on September 13.
Tamara’s amazing pictures taken in some of the world’s most remote places document the lives and environment of the people Lille Fro helps to feed and educate.
Broad-smiling nomadic people show triumph of spirit over the great hardships thrown up by everyday life in an extreme climate exacerbated by generational poverty.
As many of these places are accessible by permit only, Tamara’s hauntingly beautiful photographs of rich textures in harsh windswept landscapes are the only way most of us will ever witness this part of northern India.
Tamara says whilst such isolation has preserved a unique culture, it has also resulted in a lack of access to basic health care, fresh food and education. “Living in a country like ours, it’s difficult to grasp the extent of the hardships these families face. The raw beauty of these images help to bridge that connect and show our supporters the challenging environments in which we work and the vulnerabilities and resilience of the people with whom we have the privilege of working”, she says
Since first visiting the region on a climbing expedition in 2008, Tamara has been working towards improving the conditions for families living in remote communities. She is reportedly the first foreigner ever granted access into many of these restricted areas, home to some of the world’s poorest nomadic communities.
Through funding education for children and skills training for adults living in extreme poverty, Lille Fro has made a significant difference to communities living in the shadow of the Himalayas.
Tamara’s photographs show the single file procession of children on the world’s most dangerous walk to school along the banks of the treacherous ice river, the children’s joy as they reach school, the warmth of these people against the foreboding mountains and deserts that are the backdrop to their remarkable lives.
What Lille Fro has achieved
Lille Fro goes where few others venture to invest in the poorest of the poor living in villages cut off during long, freezing winters when children cannot get to school and parents are unable to grow enough food to feed their families
“Already, Lille Fro has helped nearly 100 children go to school through our child sponsorship program,” Tamara says. “We are teaching mums and dads skills to become sustainable through our greenhouses program capable of feeding families year round.”
What’s next for Lille Fro
“While we have achieved a great deal in a short time frame, our focus now is to build our structure in Australia and employ permanent staff to support and grow our operations so we can continue to implement our projects at the grassroots,” Tamara says.
Tamara Cannon’s Lille Fro photographic exhibition is at the Alto Event Space, GPO Melbourne on 13 September at 7 pm.
The evening will be hosted by Brendan Moar (Foxtel’s lifestyle guru / Channel Ten’s The Renovators) supported by Lille Fro’s ambassador Kate Ceberano.
Tickets are $95 and can be purchased online at www.lillefro.org.
For further information contact us
FROM LILLE FRO BIG THINGS GROW.
The Lille Fro Foundation is dependent on the generosity and support of the Australian public to continue our work.