Global voices
e r e h w m o r F I stand Christian Aid is learning more and more about the communities we work with thanks to new projects that help people share their own stories. Here are two from Haya and Enddy. Overcoming trauma in Syria Haya took part in a photo-journalism project helping young people in north-west Syria deal with trauma and express their hopes for the future. It’s part of Christian Aid’s Creating Alternative Futures programme, funded by the European Union. This programme helps young people affected by the Syrian conflict catch up on their education, learn new skills and access psychosocial support. Many of these young people have lived through conflict for almost half their lives. Photography allows them to catalogue what they see every day and express themselves.
Haya’s story My name is Haya. I am 20 years old from north-east Syria. After I finished high school, my dream was to go to university, but the circumstances of war and displacement prevented me from achieving this dream. At that time, I felt darkness everywhere around me, as if life had ended – the case for many of my
Haya taking photos of her surroundings.
country’s people. But I finally found light through my camera which expresses my pain and hope at the same time. I love photography because every picture has a beautiful story, different memories, and unforgettable moments. In the past, I took many photos in different places, but when I joined the photography training, I benefited a lot from this experience to improve my photos.
‘ I finally found light through my camera which expresses my pain and hope’ We photograph to understand the meaning of our life. If you cannot feel what you are photographing, you will not be able to make others feel anything when they look at your pictures.
How many people entered this place for quarantine after being infected with coronavirus? Some of them died after they struggled with the disease, and others survived to tell us the story of their suffering and how important it is to adhere to preventive measures.
16
