CGAP 12th Annual Photo Contest Winners
CGAP 12th Annual Photo Contest Winners Capture Dignity, Hope and Resilience
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 13, 2017 - Every year the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) invites photographers from around the world to illustrate with original and compelling images the impact that financial inclusion can have on the over 2 billion unbanked people.
This year’s Grand Prize Winner is Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman from Bangladesh. His mesmerizing photo shows traditional honey collectors, known as “mouaals”, who risk their lives to harvest thousands of pounds of honey from the Sundarbans mangrove forests in the coastal region of western Bangladesh.
The honey collectors are extremely poor and isolated with few means to make a living. They have little to no access to the basic financial services, which they could use to help them build up their businesses. Increasingly, governments and development practitioners are recognizing that including those at the base of the economic pyramid in the financial system creates opportunities for people like the mouals to save, invest and secure their livelihoods. Financial inclusion thus can be a critical enabler for achieving many of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals that guide the global development agenda.
A panel of three judges selected "Honey Collectors,” out of 3,000 entries submitted from 76 countries. Indira Williams Babic, contest judge and director of photography at the Newseum in Washington, DC, said of the winning photo: "The image pulls you in. It's immersive for the person in the image and the person viewing the image. It does a great job of making you part of that experience."
For this year’s contest, CGAP invited submissions in four key areas that are instrumental to advancing financial inclusion: Innovations in Digital Finance, Creating Opportunities for People in Crisis, Building Sustainable Livelihoods, and Connecting People and Services.
Photos in the winning collection include fishermen using digital technology, such as a fish-finder app, a mother accessing energy through solar power, and acid attack survivors turning to entrepreneurship for hope and a future.
Photo contest judge Sarah Richardson, director and global curator of Citi, said: "Translating the ongoing work of inclusive finance into visual form is an interesting challenge. These photographers created compelling narratives that illustrate the profound impact of inclusive finance. Each photo tells a different story, which made reviewing the group like a trip around the globe."
2017 Contest Winners
Grand Prize Winner and Finalists
- Honey Collectors – Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman, Bangladesh
Thematic Winners
- Innovations in Digital Finance: Ray of Hope - Sujan Sarkar, India
- Creating Opportunities for People in Crisis: Give Us Sunshine - Sourav Karmakar, India
- Building Sustainable Livelihoods: Bicycle Distributions - Kevin Di Salvo, Uganda
- Connecting People and Services: Fish Finder - Afriadi Hikmal, Indonesia
Regional Winners
- Africa: Video Marketing with Tablets - Hailey Tucker, Kenya
- East Asia and Pacific: Trading - Alexandrino Lei Airosa, Indonesia
- Latin America and Caribbean: Hope in the Heights - David Martin Huamani Bedoya, Peru
- Middle East and North Africa: Potato Harvester - Shahab Naseri, Iran
- South Asia: Returning Home - Sujan Sarkar, India
Honorable Mentions
- The Quinoa Farmer - Ana Caroline de Lima, Peru
- Festive Workshop - Kaushik Majumder, India
- Ceremony - Shahab Naseri, Iran
- Fish Trap Maker - Mohd Nazri Sulaiman, Malaysia
- Cocoon Exposing - Tran Tuy, Vietnam
- River View - Phyu Aye Pwint, Myanmar
- The Creator - Sourav Karmakar, India
- Family Lunch - Kyaw Zayya, Myanmar
People’s Choice
- Knitting a Better Future – Daniela Ancira, Mexico
Photo Contest Judges
- Indira Williams Babic, Director of Photography, Newseum
- Sarah Richardson, Director and Global Curator, Corporate Arts and Archive, Citi
- Karly Domb Sadof, Photo Editor, Nationals, Washington Post
About CGAP
CGAP is an independent think tank that works to empower poor people to capture opportunities and build resilience through financial services. We test, learn and develop innovative solutions through practical research and active engagement with our partners on building responsible and inclusive financial systems that help move people out of poverty, protect their gains and advance global development goals. Housed at the World Bank, CGAP is supported by over 30 leading development organizations committed to making financial services meet the needs of poor people.