Shekaru Yamma

**Anna Jacoba Westra** CNZM (28 Afrilu 1936 - 26 Fabrairu 2023), wacce aka fi sani da **Ans Westra**, ƙwararriyar mai ɗaukar hoto ce 'yar asalin ƙasar Holland da ke New Zealand, wacce aka fi sani da hotunan rayuwar Māori a ƙarni na 20. Shahararriyarta a matsayin mai zane ta ƙaru ne ta hanyar littafinta na yara mai cike da ce-ce-ku-ce na 1964 mai suna *Washday at the Pa* .

## Rayuwar farko da ilimi
An haifi Westra a cikin 1936 a Leiden, Netherlands, ɗa tilo na Pieter Hein Westra da Hendrika Christina van Doorn.  

A shekarar 1953, Westra ta ƙaura zuwa Rotterdam ta fara karatu a makarantar Industriesschool voor Meisjes. Ta kammala karatunta a shekarar 1957 da takardar shaidar difloma a fannin fasaha da koyar da sana'o'i, ta ƙware a fannin aikin allura,  kuma a wannan shekarar, ta bar Netherlands zuwa New Zealand.  Ta zama 'yar ƙasar New Zealand a shekarar 1963. 

## Sana'a

### Sha'awar farko ta daukar hoto da kuma ƙaura zuwa New Zealand
Westra ta fara ganin hotunan daukar hoto tun tana ƙarama ta hannun uban gidanta.  A shekarar 1956 ta sami kwarin gwiwa daga ziyarar da ta kai wurin baje kolin kasa da kasa mai suna *The Family of Man* a Amsterdam, tare da littafin Johan van der Keuken na 1955, *Wij Zijn 17 (Mun Yi Shekaru Goma Sha Bakwai)* wanda ya nuna rayuwar matasan Holland bayan yakin.  Ta fara adana kuɗi don ta sayi kyamarar Rolleiflex mai inganci, wadda ta yi amfani da ita tsawon shekaru da yawa bayan haka. 

A shekarar 1957, tana da shekaru 21, Westra ta yi tafiya zuwa New Zealand don ziyartar mahaifinta wanda ya riga ya ƙaura zuwa ƙasar.  Ta zauna a Auckland kuma ta yi aiki na tsawon watanni takwas a Crown Lynn Potteries; daga baya ta dawo don ɗaukar hotunan masana'antar a shekarar 1963. 

### Wellington da daukar hoto na ƙwararru
A shekarar 1958, Westra ta ƙaura zuwa Wellington, inda ta shiga ƙungiyar kyamarori ta Wellington kuma ta yi aiki a ɗakunan daukar hoto daban-daban na gida.  A shekarar 1960, Westra ta sami karramawa daga ƙasashen duniya inda ta lashe kyautar mujallar ɗaukar hoto ta Burtaniya saboda aikinta mai taken *Aiki Mai Lamba 2.*  A wannan shekarar ne aka buga hotonta na farko a New Zealand a murfin *Te Ao Hou / The New World*, wata mujalla da Ma'aikatar Harkokin Maori ta buga.  A shekarar 1962 ta fara aiki a matsayin mai ɗaukar hoto na cikakken lokaci, mai zaman kansa.  Yawancin aikinta na farko ya kasance na reshen Makarantar Littattafai na Ma'aikatar Ilimi da *Te Ao Hou* .  A ranar 21 ga Yuni 1978 ta rubuta ranar ƙarshe ta aikin shiga tsakani na Vacant Lot of Cabbages   kuma a shekarar 1979 ta ɗauki hotunan Ben Burn Park Concerts  waɗanda suka kasance wani ɓangare na Summer City (Wellington) .

### ''Washday a Pa'' da kuma faffadan fahimta
Westra ta zauna tare da mutanen karkara na tsawon watanni biyar, tana ɗaukar hotunan rayuwar yau da kullun, kuma a shekarar 1964 sashen wallafe-wallafen makaranta na Ma'aikatar Ilimi [1] ya buga sanarwar makarantarta ta Washday at the Pa kuma aka rarraba ta ga azuzuwan makarantun firamare a duk faɗin New Zealand. Littafin ya ƙunshi wani babban iyali na Māori a gidansu na karkara a Ruatoria . An ba wa iyalan sunan ƙarya "Wereta", kuma an sanya su a cikin jerin waɗanda ke zaune "kusa da Taihape " don kare asalinsu.