Heal Syrian Refugee Children Through Photography

Yes, it is already summer, with temperatures above 30 degrees Celcius and we are slowly but steadily moving outdoors for all the classes.

The 15+ year old, have presented their first self-made photography project based entirely on all the technical skills they have learnt in the last 3 months. They see the results of their hard work and it is very touching. We keep “losing” participants, as they move to other Refugee Hospitality Structures or get their documents sorted to move on. It always causes an emotional void after one of the students leaves our class and it affects everyone for some time. These young kids and young adults, are nevertheless resilient and they somehow recover swiftly. Our photographers and volunteers describe it as a huge learning curve and character shaping.

As we had announced previously, our first monthly joint workshop has taken place, which we have to admit was very challenging. The photos served as a reference to their previous life as well as a compass for their current situation and the aspirations and dreams for the future. Some of the young participants, have stated that they would like to become professional photographers and they hope they can get the chance to earn a living out of it. They mentioned that it is a less painful way to describe and reflect what they have been through and use it as a source of inspiration and strength for the future.

We informed them that our project video "Taking Young Syrians to a healing journey through photography with GlobalGiving" did not win any accolades but that the true value is that they engaged wholeheartedly into a team project.

In June and July, we have scheduled full day trips for abstract and nature photography.