A lot of people look at communities living from landfills as unsightly and sad, but what needs to be realized is that these are human beings living in real situations. "Informal recyclers" deserve credit for the hard work and the free public service they provide to the world on a global level. Instead of looking at the situation in disgust, think about how much more the world would be in trouble if nobody cared to pick up any of it's trash. This campaign is a dedication towards helping these communities in Nicaragua and also acts an awareness campaign on the topic. 

My name is Timothy Bouldry and I have been photographing and campaigning about the issue of communities living from landfills in impoverished areas of the world for 7 years. I have recorded landfill stories from places like Haiti, India, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Colombia, etc. 

I researched and have documented landfill families from Nicaragua throughout that duration. I finally decided to leave my life in New York City, sell all my possessions, and devote myself towards serving these communities.

Now, I teach three different English classes and Yoga classes. I am also working on a community garden project led my NGO, em[POWER] Energy Group/Project NICA. These occur at both landfills: La Chureca landfill in Managua and Nueva Vida landfill in Ciudad Sandino. I help with the local clinic where we had our first HIV testing and awareness campaign. I volunteer at a feeding program. I also run tasks to help individuals; like obtaining birth certificates for those who never received one. Finding Cedula's or work permits. I try to network and connect people together that can help one another. I also employ some people in the community that help me run these tasks. Other then help from local friends and advice from NGO's; I am pretty much working alone as an individual here until I find a better way to self-sustain myself and these projects. 

So far, it has been a successful model, but I have a larger vision in mind. I have been photographing as many landfills as possible in Nicaragua (I have visited 9 landfills here so far). Eventually, I would like to visit them all and have a showing to present various nations. The purpose is to show acknowledgement and respect for these people who are providing a free public service by sorting the country's garbage. 

I would like to have an exhibit that will be promoted on television. The campaign will be a portal of information that will not only serve Nicaragua, but create prospects for other nations as well. It can be a stepping stone towards finding a better solution towards sanitation and humanitarianism. Finding a better solution has been the hardest code to crack and every landfill situation is different. I expect all my involvement with this will get me closer to finding answers towards the right path. Answers that I pray can benefit the informal recyclers, because taking away the landfill, is taking away their commodity. At the same time, the landfill is dangerous for them. Maybe there is a more sanitary way to provide jobs for these people, without them making less money or the government taking that commodity away from that community. That's my code I am still trying to crack. 

Money raised with this campaign will go towards keeping all of my projects afloat for well over one year; including English, Yoga, gardening, documenting, exhibiting work and good deed doing! 

Feel free to browse my website to learn more: 

timothybouldry.com

Much Love + Many Blessings, 

Timothy Bouldry