Life at Zaatari, a Syrian refugee camp, is documented through photographs taken by some of the young occupants, which have been compiled into a book published by Unicef. This is one of those images. Courtesy Unicef
Life at Zaatari, a Syrian refugee camp, is documented through photographs taken by some of the young occupants, which have been compiled into a book published by Unicef. This is one of those images. CShow more



Entering the Syrian refugee camp Zaatari in the north of Jordan, by now the second-largest refugee camp in the world, the eye-catching scenery mirrors most other such camps – children in dirty clothes playing on the dirt roads, tents and temporary structures, mothers carrying water home and blank-eyed old men sitting and smoking.

Forbidden to leave the camp, these displaced people, whose identity regardless of their previous status, occupation and class in Syria, is now reduced to “refugee”, are easy prey for the journalists, photographers, filmmakers, international donors and Jordanian government officials circling the camp during visiting hours, scouting for photo opportunities, news stories or testimonies for their appeals to request more money for their organisations or the government.

“You give me a lollipop so you can take my picture,” a young boy challenged a filmmaker. A photographer working for Save the Children in the camp said he witnessed angry people who chased him away and colleagues whose cameras were stolen or broken by camp residents.

“You come here to get our stories so you can make money from it,” a teenager said, refusing to have his picture taken by a photographer from the Jordan Times newspaper.

Walking around the camp with my own camera, I experienced children posing for me and then asking for money; they, too, know their value for the media professionals who have come to tell the world about their existence.

But in a big tent, in one of the 50 youth spaces in the camp, a group of five girls, between the ages of 15 and 20, discuss which photos from a pile on the table are “good”.

They have received training twice a week for three months in composition, storytelling, interview techniques and other elements of photojournalism by the French photographer Agnes Montanari. She runs three groups of 50 students, of whom 28 are girls.

In the camp, girls attend school from 8am to 11.30am and boys from 12.30pm to 4pm. But when school is over, the dull life of the dusty camp awaits. The photography programme is one of Save the Children’s after-school activities for the youth.

In the beginning, the students photographed their daily lives with disposable cameras. In the second phase of the training, everyone has received a digital point-and-shoot camera and an audio recorder. The advanced students are now creating portraits from the camp based on their photos and recordings.

It’s their time to document the life of the camp, the way they see it and to their own benefit.

“We came here to spend our time in a useful manner because photography is the only thing that backed up the revolution. We managed to communicate to the world what happened in Syria and that is very important to us,“ said 16-year-old Noor from Al Tadamon in Syria. Her 15-year-old sister Iman said that when she returns to Syria she wants to apply her skills there.

“My hope is to be a journalist, I would love that. I came to the school here for that,” she said. The same dream holds true for the rest of the girls in the course.

“My hobby was originally photo-graphy and I came here to build on that. When I return to Syria, I want to do the same as Agnes,” said 20-year-old Sanaa from Dara’a.

Their work is being published this month in Now and Then, a book edited by Montanari and financed by Unicef and Save the Children. The first part is illustrated by drawings of memories from Syria, the second on the photographs from the camp.

“Life doesn’t stop because you are here, it’s just another experience. So make sure it’s your life,” Montanari told the students.

One photo shows a girl pushing a wheelbarrow with a child. “They are our pushcarts in the camp” is the accompanying caption.

“They have access to things we don’t see; it’s extremely important that they tell their own stories. This way they become actors, not just victims,” Montanari said.

The next step is to create a photo agency in the camp that will offer photographs for the media and produce a newsletter for the “residents”.

artslife@thenational.ae

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Super 30

Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

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Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding

Juliet, Naked
Dir: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Two stars

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Company%20Profile
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Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

MATCH INFO

FA Cup final

Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)

Manchester United 0

Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
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Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950

Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury

Williams at Wimbledon

Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)

Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.