George Clooney: Sanctions threats not enough in South Sudan
Photos: In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers
From refugees to photojournalists – Adil Mustafa Hamdan, 21, is a student at the Soba Secondary Refugee School. He was one of 21 students selected to take a digital storytelling course through the UN Refugee Agency project. Like many of the students that graduated from the course, he aspires to be a photojournalist.
"I would go to the Nuba Mountains and photograph people with no clothes, no shoes; I'd photograph soldiers while they are fighting; I'd photograph airplanes that drop bombs. I would show through my photos and explain through my stories the situation in the Nuba Mountains," he says.
"I would go to the Nuba Mountains and photograph people with no clothes, no shoes; I'd photograph soldiers while they are fighting; I'd photograph airplanes that drop bombs. I would show through my photos and explain through my stories the situation in the Nuba Mountains," he says.
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Photos: In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers
Portfolio: Adil Mustafa Hamdan –
"What do you want?"
"I just want there to always be enough food."
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because I am very satisfied now."
"What do you want?"
"I just want there to always be enough food."
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because I am very satisfied now."
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Photos: In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers
Portfolio: Adil Mustafa Hamdan –
"What do you want to be when you grow up?
"A hunter."
"What do you want to hunt?"
"I want to hunt gazelles, monkeys, hawks and other animals that you find in the bush.
"What is the hardest thing about hunting?"
"When you get caught by the police."
"What do you want to be when you grow up?
"A hunter."
"What do you want to hunt?"
"I want to hunt gazelles, monkeys, hawks and other animals that you find in the bush.
"What is the hardest thing about hunting?"
"When you get caught by the police."
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Photos: In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers
Portfolio: Adil Mustafa Hamdan –
"I left the Nuba Mountains because of the war in '83. At that time, we left in a group of 57 people. Only nine of us survived the journey. I was the youngest, only seven years old.
One day, my father was very sick and he began to tell me the names of all of my uncles. When he finished he died. I stayed for seven more years until the people signed a peace agreement, which was in 2005.
I said to myself, let me see what will happen. After six years I prepared to go back to my homeland, but when I was about to start my journey the war broke out. I thought, 'I'll never see my family. I will die as my father died.'
Then people began to arrive from the Nuba Mountains to the camp. The first person I spoke to turned out to be my uncle. It was the best moment of my life. This is why I am happy. Because I have found my relatives."
Khalid Idriss, refugee since 1985
"I left the Nuba Mountains because of the war in '83. At that time, we left in a group of 57 people. Only nine of us survived the journey. I was the youngest, only seven years old.
One day, my father was very sick and he began to tell me the names of all of my uncles. When he finished he died. I stayed for seven more years until the people signed a peace agreement, which was in 2005.
I said to myself, let me see what will happen. After six years I prepared to go back to my homeland, but when I was about to start my journey the war broke out. I thought, 'I'll never see my family. I will die as my father died.'
Then people began to arrive from the Nuba Mountains to the camp. The first person I spoke to turned out to be my uncle. It was the best moment of my life. This is why I am happy. Because I have found my relatives."
Khalid Idriss, refugee since 1985
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Photos: In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers
From refugees to photojournalists – Aziz Hassan Eidiie was born in 1990 in the Nuba village of Kauda. When war broke out in his home in 2011, he had to stop his schooling. He was able to resume it at the Soba Secondary School. Many of his photographs focus on the lives of the young men inside the camp.
"I am happy to have become a photographer, because this was one of my dreams," he says.
"I hope that God may help me learn more and more about journalism so I can put it into practice."
"I am happy to have become a photographer, because this was one of my dreams," he says.
"I hope that God may help me learn more and more about journalism so I can put it into practice."
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Photos: In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers
Portfolio: Aziz Hassan Eidiie –
"This is Abraham Jojo, an 18-year old refugee student from Kauda in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. He is here in Ajuong Thok without his parents. His aim is simply to study. On the weekends, he makes and bakes bread to sell it in the market to earn money to support himself. Even with all of these challenges, he still perseveres with his studies."
"This is Abraham Jojo, an 18-year old refugee student from Kauda in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. He is here in Ajuong Thok without his parents. His aim is simply to study. On the weekends, he makes and bakes bread to sell it in the market to earn money to support himself. Even with all of these challenges, he still perseveres with his studies."
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Photos: In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers
Portfolio: Aziz Hassan Eidiie –
"These four boys live alone on their compound with nobody to help them cook, clean, fetch water and firewood. They usually cooperate and get along to work together. They've planted pumpkins on their compound that are now ready for harvest."
"These four boys live alone on their compound with nobody to help them cook, clean, fetch water and firewood. They usually cooperate and get along to work together. They've planted pumpkins on their compound that are now ready for harvest."
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Photos: In their own words: Refugees turned storytellers
From refugees to photojournalists – Awatif Kawaja Matile is 20 years old. Education has always been very important to her. At ten, she walked long distances to attend her primary school. Later, she attended a private school, where she lived without her parents."I struggled because I didn't have their financial support to help me buy clothes, shoes and other materials," she admits.
When the war broke out in 2011, she made her way to the Ajuong Thok Refugee Camp so that she could continue her studies. "Being in school is an opportunity to learn, and to change your life from bad to better," she says, though she admits she doesn't view education as a cure-all. "It doesn't mean that you will have a comfortable life; you may face challenges and problems, but education makes you a better person in the future. You must think and reason wisely," she says.As a participant in the project, she focused a lot on the everyday struggles of families in the camp.
When the war broke out in 2011, she made her way to the Ajuong Thok Refugee Camp so that she could continue her studies. "Being in school is an opportunity to learn, and to change your life from bad to better," she says, though she admits she doesn't view education as a cure-all. "It doesn't mean that you will have a comfortable life; you may face challenges and problems, but education makes you a better person in the future. You must think and reason wisely," she says.As a participant in the project, she focused a lot on the everyday struggles of families in the camp.
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Photos: I