Ammar Abubaker 2024 Commended
A self portrait of me and my family inside the car
This is the place where people spend a day and a night before they get transported to al Renk camp
I lived in this tent with my 9 members family some of us sleep in the floor and some of us sleep on the bed
Our new oven
A picture of woman who got tired at the registration area so she sat down with her children
Water is a daily struggle
Water is a daily struggle 2
Internet cafes
My nutrition card
A woman holding her child and desperately wants to enter the registration room
My constant usage in the middle of many variables 1-my rosary that I pray and praise Allah with all the way and the key of the lock of my backpack 2-a charger with a USB 3-my ring that never left my hands since June 2021 4-a power Bank because my phone’s low battery, it storage gave me an opportunity to capture more pictures than I could if did not have it 5- my mobile phone, a communication tool, entertainment, education, a camera, and a tool for making a living and I think without selling the pics I took with that phone I would not get out from Al Renk 6-all of these elements are on top of the half of a plastic bag where I slept on top of it for 23 days and now it's my prayer carpet
About the work
The journey started on December 17, 2023, when my family and I traveled to Al Renk to seek asylum in South Sudan. Having fled my home seven months prior due to the ongoing conflicts in Khartoum, I found myself devastated after the attack on Madani, which led to the loss of all my remaining possessions. Despite the challenges I faced, I remained optimistic and grateful for having escaped the violence in Madani. During my time in the camp, where I registered for asylum, I documented the lives of my fellow refugees, witnessing their struggles with the harsh environment, fear, and lack of resources. Al Renk presented a difficult environment, with extreme heat, The lack of adequate shelter, food, and water highlighted the daily challenges endured by those seeking safety, further compounded the difficulties faced during the registration process, although all of these circumstances they maintained to start businesses besides the camp, they played cards, our neighbors were singing every day in the middle of the camp, and kids found ways to have fun. Following my time in Al Renk, I departed for Juba on January 13, 2024, with a renewed sense of resilience and perspective, and my family went back to Rabak after 4 days in Al Renk, but I'm sure that we will meet again soon in a place we can call home.
The project I intend to complete with the fund is a documentary called “Hope After War”, it is a project I will seek with the experience of refugees who became entrepreneurs, how they could have started a new beginning after war, and what they have accomplished, I will highlight the experience of independent women and youth who were children during the period of war but they managed to grow and make a better environment for themselves because, after 26 days in a refugee camp, I know that camps are a dream killer environment, and it needs people with true determination
About the Photographer
Ammar Abubaker is a Sudanese documentary photographer and videographer with a passion for storytelling, visuals, and cinematography. From a young age, he was drawn to photography, inspired by his father's interest in cameras and casual documenting. He quickly became the family photographer, capturing moments and memories. In 2021, he received his first camera as a gift from his cousin, and from that moment on, his love for photography only grew. He believes that photography is his way of expression, a universal language that everyone can understand.