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Minara, originally from Buthi Daung in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, now lives with her family in the world’s largest refugee camp, in Bangladesh. In Myanmar, she was employed by UNHCR, and since relocating to Bangladesh, she has worked with various organizations such as CSI, Brac University’s CPJ project, IOM, and SAFE over the past five years. Currently, she collaborates with UN Women and runs her own camp-based organisation: Education and Wisdom Development for Rohingya Women.

 

Photography has also become a significant part of Minara’s life. ‘Photography allows me to convey the emotions and experiences of my community to the world,’ she says. Trained in storytelling by WFP in 2019, Minara believes her photos serve as a narrative medium. ‘Each image captures a fragment of life in the camp, telling a story I wish to share,’ —she explains.

 

Her work has gained international recognition, with some of her photographs featured in the UNHCR 2023 calendar, exhibited in Sweden and Japan. ‘Seeing my work displayed on such platforms fills me with a sense of accomplishment,’ —she notes.

 

Read more about Minara's work on this article: Rain’s blessing: A joyful playground from above.