First launched as a pilot in Spring 2019, the Lotus Flower’s Storytelling Sisters project provides an educational platform for local women to learn a combination of photography and creative writing skills, enabling them to share their experiences through photos and stories. The project aims to provide marketable skills and facilitate improved mental health outcomes through shared experiences and community support. The first project culminated in an exhibition in Duhok City, which validated the work of the participants and was very well-received by the local community and donors who attended.
As part of the programme, women and girls learn how to use DLSR cameras and photo editing software, plus how to create compelling video content and use social media platforms to share their work. The scheme serves as a creative outlet which helps women and girls heal from trauma, after many experienced unthinkable suffering at the hands of ISIS.
CASE STUDY
Ghazal, who moved into Essyan camp following the ISIS atrocities, took part in Storytelling Sisters after she had begun taking photographs to tell the stories of those living within the camp. “When I saw I was capable of doing this work, I created a page to show my pictures,” she says.
After completing the project, Ghazal started working with the Lotus Flower as a photography trainer for Storytelling Sisters, encouraging women to record their experiences visually as a healing and inspiring artform. “It is a joy to share my hobby with other women and girls, and also to be an official employee of the Lotus Flower.”