Photography as a Voice: Rohingya Stories of Resilience

The Camera Cafe Show

In this Untold Stories episode, we sit down with Salim Khan, a Rohingya photographer living in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, the largest refugee camp in the world with now living 1.000.000 displaced Rohingya people. Salim shares his powerful journey of using photography to document the daily struggles, resilience, and humanity of the Rohingya people. He is also a recipient, together with Abdullah Habib, Sahat Zia and Shahida Win of the United Nations 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award, which honors individuals or groups who go above and beyond to help displaced people. This prestigious award recognized their efforts in using photography to tell the stories of the Rohingya, raising global awareness about their plight while capturing their resilience and strength in the face of adversity.

From growing up in the camp to becoming an internationally recognized photographer while being also a volunteer firefighter, Salim reflects on the immense challenges his community faces—rampant fires, seasonal floods, and a lack of access to education and healthcare—while striving to amplify their voices through his work. He talks about the deep personal challenges he faces living as a refugee and his dreams for his children, who have shown an interest in photography as well. This heartfelt conversation is a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of giving marginalized communities a voice.

As a continuation of this mission, we’ve launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Salim’s vision of teaching Rohingya youths the Art of Photography. Our goal is to raise $3,000 to purchase second-hand cameras and equipment for his photography workshops. This will help teach youths from the refugee camps photography so they can document their stories and share their experiences with the world.

Or you have an unused camera or equipment, you can also contribute by sending it to one of our podcast offices, just send us an email—we’ll make sure it reaches Salim’s community and keeps on making stories.

Keynotes:

*Salim’s early life and challenges growing up in the Kutupalong camp.

*The power of photography in documenting the Rohingya’s daily struggles and resilience.

*Salim’s vision to teach photography to Rohingya volunteers to help them tell their own stories.

*The impact of Salim’s work internationally, including his recognition through the Nansen Refugee Award.

*His hopes for the future, both for his community and his children.

The Transcription of Salim's Episode is Available on our Website.

Want to Donate to our GoFundMe charity for Salim? Check it out on:

Our webpage: https://thecameracafeshow.com/gfm

The official GFM page: https://gofund.me/a15b012c

Check out more of Salim's work:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mohd.brr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mohammed_salimk

X: https://x.com/Rohingyasalimkh

UN Nansen Award 2023: https://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/photographs-words-and-deeds-rohingya-refugee-storytellers-weave-hope-despair

Nansen Award 2023 Youtube: https://youtu.be/WnWMGw5M50A?si=rf6cXwY0Pi9iC-_0

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Thanks for listening and look out for our next episode!