Summer vacation… For most students, that means relaxing at the beach or working a summer job in their hometown. For sophomore Farnaz Mahbub, however, last summer meant a couple of months of hectic travel through her native Bangladesh, camera in hand to capture photos of the local villagers she encountered along the way.

Farnaz, who grew up sheltered from the rampant poverty that dominates Bangladesh, embraced the chance to explore her country via the camera lens: “I decided to break free from my land of comfort and reach out to help those who need it,” she says, “and to bring Bangladesh’s veracity to the attention of the Roger Williams community.”

What she uncovered was heartbreaking—children with protruding ribs and tattered clothes, women with hunched backs and gnarled fingers. But despite such dire poverty, Farnaz found that hope resonates on every Bangladeshi’s face. “The people of Bangladesh hold their heads up high, even under the most inhumane conditions,” she says.
 
Back at Roger Williams in the fall, Farnaz transformed her images into a powerful 40-photo exhibit that premiered in the University’s Global Gallery. “Footprints: The Lives of Local Bangladeshis” drew viewers throughout its monthlong showcase and even earned her some attention from local media outlets.

Farnaz took her successful showcase a step further, selling her images for $20 each to benefit a drug rehabilitation center in Bangladesh. “There are a thriving number of addicts in my country,” Farnaz says. “Mostly young children below the age of 10, but older addicts, too. And the numbers are increasing daily.”

In total, the sophomore raised and donated $500 to APON Addiction Rehabilitation Residence, located in the heart of Dhaka. APON houses 85 addicts at a time, many of whom cannot afford payment but are nonetheless given treatment. “I am very happy that I could do that much for people who really need it the most,” Farnaz says.

So, where will she take her talents now? Whatever happens, Farnaz says she certainly won’t put down the camera anytime soon. “This was simply a baby step towards my dream,” she explains. “Hopefully one day I can do better than this, help more people and earn even more respect for myself and my work.”