Clockwise from top: Pictures taken by Cambodian students Schea Veasna, Thorn Rothy, Teng Sovann and an image by Indonesian student Yulianto.

DOHA: They are simple shots that captured the essence of a rustic life in the remote villages in three Southeast Asian countries and yet the frames glow with life.

The photographic skills of some of the students from Indonesia, Nepal and Cambodia will be showcased and distributed to guests during the Reach Out To Asia’s (Rota) third Gala Dinner and Charity Auction on October 31 at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA).

The children were participants of a photography workshop conducted by Maher Attar, photo library manager at the Office of

H H Sheikha Mozah, and her official photographer, during his sojourn to the developing nations. During the workshop, Attar distributed instamatic cameras to the children.

A two-minute video of the workshop, done by Gwenaelle Le Mee, will be shown during the gala dinner. It is also posted on www.hhopl.com.

The works of the children, shown on the book “On The Road To School,” will be distributed to around 400 guests, as well as a collection of the top 10 photos turned into greeting cards.

“As a professional photographer, I wanted to use the ‘On The Road To School’ project to teach my skills and pass on my passion for photography. My meeting with Rota enabled me to transform that idea into reality and be a part of what was a very special experience,” said Attar, who gave the cameras to groups of 15 or so boys and girls aged between 12 and 15. He taught the children how to work with their cameras in five days.

The book is a joint project by Rota and Attar. “I strongly believe that photography bridges all language and geographical barriers and provides us with a unique insight into the world around us, and this echoes the sentiments of our efforts at Reach Out To Asia as we began working on this book,” said H E Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Rota.