Finalists from the 2008 CGAP Microfinance Photography Contest

Finalists from the 2008 CGAP Microfinance Photography Contest World Bank Group

WINNER Somenath Mukhopadyay - Vegetable Girl Photographed in Birbhum, West Bengal, India. This girl prepares radishes to take to market. She lost her father and now helps her mother till a tiny piece of land. They produce vegetables and a small amount of rice during the monsoon season

2 nd PRIZE Kushal Gangopadhyay - Spinning A woman in Khuri village in Rajasthan, India, spins yarn in the traditional way

3 rd PRIZE Ellen de Leon - Corn Drying A Muslim woman prepares newly harvested corn grain to sell at market in the Philippines

SPECIAL AWARD Sandipan Majumdar - Tradition Meets Technology Every winter people from all over Rajasthan travel to the Great Pushkar Fair, known as the Cattle Fair, to buy and sell camels, horses, and bulls

SPECIAL AWARD Saikat Mukherjee - Sea Fishing Men at work - early monsoon season, Digha Beach, Bay of Bengal

Joydeep Mukherjee - To Market Fisherwomen head to market, Bedberiya village in Bengal, India

Srinivasa Rao Allamsetty - Solidarity Taken in the early morning light during a group meeting in Orissa, India, this photograph is about women’s empowerment

Subhrajit Basu - Dairy Business A woman herds her cows in the village of Gourdaha, in West Bengal, India. She sells milk in the market in Calcutta every day to support her family. She relies on microfinance services to help manage the small dairy business she has created

Supriyo Biswas - Bowls A microentrepreneur makes his mark as he hand paints bowls to sell, Kolkata, India

Mohammed Kamrul Hasan - Wheel of Change Amena Begum once struggled to support herself and her family. Now with the help of a microcredit loan, she has created a livelihood for herself. She colors threads and sells them to the local taant sari industry. This image was taken in Tangail, Bangladesh, famous for its hand-loomed taant saris

Mohammad Rakibul Hasan - The Fishermen In villages across Bangladesh poor kids fish to feed their families. Longorpara, Sherpur District, Bangladesh

Samuel de Leon - Golden Grains Microfinance is a quiet force behind many microenterprises, like this grain business in the Philippines

Samuel de Leon - Strawberry Farm of La Trinidad Carefully nurtured strawberry plants thrive on this farm near Baguio, the summer capital of the nation, north of Manila. Microfinance helps support time-intensive highland farming in the Philippines

Ellen de Leon - Textile Weaver With skill and the art of the ages, this woman applies intricate embroidery to a barong she is sewing. Her work supports her family and keeps a tradition alive

Bobby Eleazar - Night Fish Vendor With the help of microfinance, this man in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, the Philippines supports his family through hard times by buying and selling fish

Mohammad Rakibul Hasan – Productivity Processing rice is the main employment for women in Bangladesh. Akhawra, Bhrahmin Baria District, Bangladesh

Mohammad Rakibul Hasan - Rhythm of Stone Transportation These men prepare to transport stones gathered by locals. Bholagonj, Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Anindya Majumdar - Together we catch These fishermen split in two groups along both sides of the River Shilabati in West Bengal, India. They start running toward the middle, forcing the frightened fish to dart into the center. As they throw their nets together, the fish are trapped. Microfinance makes it possible for this group of fishermen to buy their nets

Malik Asim Mansur - Handicraftmanship The earthquake of 8 October 2007 engulfed the entire area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan, forcing entrepreneurs like Masoom Ali to quickly find creative ways to support their families. Masoom carves wood to sell at market

Partha Pal - After Fishing Fishermen repair the nets at noon in Talsari, Orissa, India. Their average income is less than $100 a month

Sudip Roychoudhury - Flower Market Flower vendors at this market in Kolkata, India, come from distant rural areas to sell their flowers

Bobby Eleazar - Sampaguita Flower Pickers Old women are already bustling before dawn, getting ready to go out to harvest the tiny, sweet-smelling, white flowers that only bloom at 2 a. m. Tiaong, Quezon, the Philippines

Sandipan Majumdar - Self Help Photographed in Rajasthan, India, this potter tends to his craft. He was able to start his business after getting a loan from Grameen Bank

Partha Pal - Young Artist A young artist in Raghuraipur, India, creates a pattachitra – a form of traditional artwork that is centuries old. Raghurajpur is world famous for its handicrafts and artwork

Saikat Mukherjee - Basket Weaving Basket making is one of the small industries financed by local microfinance banks in India