Educating in Respect. Meet Irati Ayerza

Irati is Photographer and has an special talent for telling stories through photography. This passion, comes from when she was a child. Her father was passionate about photography and accumulated lots of albums and photos in boxes. When she got angry, she go to the attic to hide herself behind the door to look at the family photos.

“When you love doing something, it inspires you, it helps you to communicate and express yourself, because you live it with intensity and you don't want to stop learning and trying new things ”. What he likes most about photography is "the ability it has to capture that moment or that emotion that with pass of time will be forgotten. In this way we get it to last over time. That desire to remember and transmit is what motivates me most”.

Irati lives in Guipuzcoa with his family: Enko, her partner, and her children Inhar (6) and Udai (4); they are part of the #LittleChanger community, committed families who educate to change the world. Today, we wanted to know about her a little better and we bring you this interview that will surely will inspire you.

Visiting your Instagram account (@iratiayerza) we breathe naturally, it is evident that you take care of the small details, and we feel a deep love for everyday, rural and family life, it is a truly inspiring profile.
How much are about you in your shoots?

I: I think the shoots I make are very sincere. From me, I would say that touch of sincerity, a bit of madness, energy and a lot of love for family, friends and my environment.

How do you encourage your kids to take  their creative skills for make the best of themselves?

I: At home, we don't force kids to do what they don't want to do. We always ask them which hobbies they would like to practice.

They both love music. At home they have many kinds of instruments that they can play freely, respecting the material, of course. They, also, have different stuff to express their creativity  (tales, costumes, paintings, games...).

When they are drawing, we will never correct them. Then, they explain what they meant by that drawing. Udai, the little one, loves to take pictures, has his own camera and imitates me. And when we do a shooting session, he always makes some photos in the end.

CONCILIATE Myth or Reality?

I: I think is a myth, a lie that someone have been able to sell very well. With Inhar (6), my oldest son, I had no choice and had to go back to work when he was 6 months old. I worked 12 hours away from home as a journalist, it was impossible to reconcile. With my second child, I was already working with my husband, in the family business, and, luckily, I was able to combine motherhood with my work better.

What are the most important values when it comes to educating your children?

I: I summarize everything in one value: Respect. First, respect for oneself. We must learn to respect ourselves: respect our physique and not crush ourselves, respect our value and make others respect it. And then respect those around us, our environment, our culture, our planet. If you stop to think, everything is based on respect. And that I try to instill in my two children, I hope to be doing well.

One of the things we knew about Irati is that she is a person with a strong social commitment inherited from her parents. They were always been involved in social issues: “When they were working, they participated in unions to get job improvements; they have been in parents' associations to get educational improvements for us, their daughters; and now that they are retired, they have created an NGO together with another small group of people with whom they are dedicated to helping women and children from India, Ecuador and Honduras.”

What did your parents transmit to you since childhood?

I: At home, all topics have always been spoken with freedom and confidence. My parents have always made my sister and me partakers of that commitment. I will never thank them enough. I am one of those who think that we cannot live looking only at our own navel and that each one, according to their possibilities, should mobilize for what they consider to be unfair or that it should change. Every single act counts.

Some time ago you participated in our #MediterraneanFragility awareness project and we want to thank you for your commitment. Do you think that actions like this, which invites to empathize and sensitize from childhood, help to have a positive impact on the future of our children and the Planet?

I: Definitely. If we make our children unaware of these "other realities" and live in their own parallel reality, we don't do them any favor. It is necessary that they are aware of what is happening and they will decide later how to act against it.

We know that most maritime rescue NGOs, such as OPEN ARMS, have to face harsh threats to defend human rights. What opinion do you deserve to ignore the rules imposed on them? Do you think that for things to change, we must start by breaking the rules?

I: In these cases, without a doubt, we must disobey because the situation in the Mediterranean is critical. The rules are made to change them when they are unfair and harm a part of society.

One last question to all family members: If you could choose a superpower, which one would you choose? What is the first thing you would do?

IRATI: I would like to have the power to multiply in order to reach everything.

ENEKO: Could fly, without a doubt.

INHAR (6): I want to have laser pants to make holes in the ground!
(But I didn't know how to say very well for what purpose ... hahaha).

UDAI (4 años): I am already a helper superhero, I help in everything, and my super power is to be strong. Watch me.
(He says while is showing viceps!!)

To conclude, some recommendations for The Little Family:

· A book that inspires you:
The Little Prince. For the values it transmits.

· A song that reminds your childhood:
Ixilik-Ixilik. Basque song of the traditional Basque songbook. My mother sang it to me at night and now she sings it to my children. Talk about the sailors who go out to sea every morning.

· A Movie, series or documentary that you recommend to watch as a family:
Once Upon a Time... Life. (Serie)
Inside Out. (Film)