20 Young Refugees In Malta Were Given Cameras And A National Geographic Workshop. This Is What They Captured
Seeking to give a voice to a group of young refugees in Malta, National Geographic Photo Camp has come to the islands to host a five-day immersive workshop for a selected group of 20 refugee youths aged between 18 and 30. And to achieve all this, they were given one very powerful tool; a camera.
Established in 2003, Photo Camp is an immersive week-long program hosted by Newest Americans & Talking Eyes Media focused on empowering youth (specifically at-risk and refugee populations) through the art of photography. The program has connected many renowned Nat Geo photographers with participants who are taught to use photography to detail their refugee experiences and to show a glimpse of their life.
Tonight, on the last day of this workshop which was being held at the Malta University, the young refugees will be sharing work created during the photo camp at an event for the broader community
Photo by Ahmad Obaid
Photo by Ali Aziz
Photo by Ed Kashi
“Our goal is to tap into the creativity and potential of local refugees, and to engage and excite participants about photography and storytelling”
“We ask each person to tell his or her own story with the tools we’re providing – cameras, laptops and guidance about the power of photography,” the organisers explained of the initiative. “We ask each person to provide the imagination and the insight into his or her community.”
Also added into the equation thanks to National Geographic was world-renowned photographer Ed Kashi, who took the young participants on an exciting five-day journey around the island, exploring their city and neighbourhood.
Aimed at not only giving a voice to these participants but to also support them in creating photographs and writing that will foster discussion on topics like family, home and the challenges of adapting in a foreign country, the workshop’s culmination was a set of photos that quite literally feature Malta from a different lens.
Photos by Abdi Kani Mohamed
Photo by Maebel Mehari
Tonight, the culmination of the last five days comes to life in a photography presentation in Valletta
Between 6 and 8pm, the doors of Valletta’s University of Malta premises will be open to host an exhibition of the camp’s students.
The exhibition, happening in the Aura Prima Auditorium, is free of charge and will feature the photos of the 20 young refugees.
