Little Rann of Kutch, India

Photographer: Prabha Jayesh

Year of Submission: 2016 (Educators Edition) 

Little Rann of Kutch, an area of salt marsh in western India’s Gujarat state, is renowned among photographers and tourists for its picturesque white landscapes. But for those who live there, life is hard. In summer, temperatures rise as high as 49 degrees Celsius. In winter, they drop to zero. Scattered across this barren landscape are seventeen schools. Funded by the Gujarat government, attendance is free for their four hundred students. But their facilities are minimal: no electricity, no benches; even drinking water is hard to come by. Finding staff for them is a challenge. Few teachers want to work in such a remote area for a monthly salary of 4,500 rupees (about US$65).

Prabha Jayesh's photo-story won first place in our worldwide open call for submissions.