Something as simple as a clean shower that we often take for granted in the west can bring so much joy to those who normally go without.
About Kane Ryan
Kane Ryan started his nomadic lifestyle at the age of four when he travelled for two years with his parents in a volkswagen van throughout Central America. He was born in Calgary and moved to Victoria with his family and his seashell collection from Mexico in 1988 as a 6 year old. Graduating from Vic High in 2000, he felt the call of other cultures and new experiences, bought a backpack, and a plane ticket and has travelled and worked his way around the world for the past nine years working in diamond mines in Canada's north, bars in Thailand, as an extra in Bollywood, construction in Australia and everything in between. A pivotal moment at an orphanage in India sparked the idea to start his own non-profit, giving his travelling lifestyle meaning and purpose. In 2009, Kane launched the Dirty Wall Project Foundation starting with $4000 in donations with a promised to spend it wisely by 'seeing a need and filling it". Projects in India this year include building a school in a slum, holding medical camps with local doctors, paying for surgeries and paying school fees for children from the slums. Kane presently splits his time between Canada and India using his photography and writing to raise awareness and fundraise for the Dirty Wall Project.
To be Loved — Part 2
Mumbai, the city of dreams, draws thousands of rural Nepali villagers every year to the already overcrowded streets with rumours of well paying jobs, hospitals and schools. These rumours travel on the backs of distant relatives and friends who send back stories of their success, whether true or not, luring families with bright hopes and dreams.
To Be Loved – Part 1
Tears roll down Maya’s cheek as she brings her orange dupatta to her face and dabs at her eye. Her cheek quivers as she stares down at the tray of fruit sitting on her lap. When she looks up, our eyes connect. I place my hand on her knee and tell her that we don’t […]
A Death in Mumbai: Ganesh’s Last Days
In the slums of Mumbai, Kane Ryan of Dirty Wall Project finds himself face-to-face with a friend’s untimely death amidst the indignity of India’s strained health-care systems and family’s seeming ambivalence.
Ashwini and Boomi
Kane Ryan of Dirty Wall Project encounters two beautiful children in the slums of Mumbai. An unlikely pair, these two, Ashwini and Bhoomi, cling together amidst the abuse and lack of affection at home.
A Helping Hand
Kane Ryan of Dirty Wall Project pays tribute to Ashley, who by his single-minded devotion to the people of Mumbai’s Saki Naka slum, has transformed an entire community for the better.
Moving Day: Demolition of the Slum
Kane Ryan of Dirty Wall Project and the people who live in India’s slum of Mumbai watch helplessly as part of the slum is bulldozed to make way for something people call progress.
Moshin’s Mistake
A young boy’s fall triggers results in a critical medical emergency, and Kane Ryan of Dirty Wall Project finds himself facing India’s medical system and a life and death decision.
Morgan’s Ride
Kane Ryan connects with Morgan Van Breda, a paraplegic who is the first hand-cyclist to participate in Tour d’ Afrique. Her goal is to ride from India’s Taj Mahal to Kanyakumari at the southern-most tip of India, spreading a message of hope and awareness about spinal cord injuries.
Lunch with the Ladies
Kane Ryan and Dirty Wall Project take some deserving women who live in the slums of Mumbai for a day at a beautiful beach on the Arabian Sea and a chance to just play and be carefree.