REPORTAGE

Viola works on assignments for magazines, as well as her own personal projects. She has travelled extensively and her natural interest for social situations allows her to develop intimate relationships with her subjects.

A school adrift, San Cristobal
San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, 2009.

The Internado para niƱos indigenos is one of four boarding schools, or Social Integration Centers founded by the government in the 50s to provide the children of impoverished indigenous families with free education. Predictably, the experience yielded mixed results. The schools are underfunded and the children are largely left to run the place by themselves.

This photo reportage unveils the daily life of learning, cooking, cleaning, delousing, and particularly focuses on the lockers, the one and only private space enjoyed by every child. From this place of cultural isolation and material deprivation, we learn a precious lesson in resilience and joy.