Every year, the UAE-based philanthropic organization Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) organises summer camps to help refugees across the Gaza, the West Bank and Jordan. Volunteers work to integrate disabled children into society and to provide kids with fun summer activities.
This summer, three photographers went to Tulkarem camp in the West Bank to conduct a photography workshop with the children.
Partnering able-bodied children with those who are physically challenged, the children were asked to capture their day-to-day lives under the supervision of the tutors.
The results, honest and simple scenes depicting the reality of life under the harsh conditions of a refugee camp but peppered with heart-warming smiles, go on display tonight in a show titled Children of Palestine: Beyond Numbers.
The children’s images are accompanied by a selection from a French photographer Eloise Bollack who lives and works in the West Bank and whose pictures capture children caught in and affected by the recent 50 day war in Gaza.
Hard hitting and raw, the images also show the human side of war, depicting children and their families in moments of joy as well suffering.
Steve Sosebee, CEO of PCRF says he is thrilled to be working with Gulf Photo Plus to show these wonderful images to the public. “Palestinian children live through times of peace and times of war. These images reflect their extraordinary resilience, creativity and the strength of the human spirit. We hope to help even more children in our 2015 Summer Camps.”
The exhibition opening will be accompanied by a dance performance by a traditional Palestinian dabke troupe and the show will run until the end of the month.
aseaman@thenational.ae
