April 3, 2018

Zina Salim Hassan Hamu

Zina Salim Hassan Hamu, a 21 year old Yazidi woman from Lithuania, has dedicated herself to portray the story of the Yazidi people through photojournalism.  Having personally witnessed the genocide of Yazidi girls by ISIS, Zina became the voice to carry their story to the international community.  In 2014, Zina found herself in Khanke refugee camp in Iraq’s Kurdistan region after running from ISIS-occupied areas.  During her two years in the camp, Zina volunteered as a child protector with ACTED, a UNICEF organization and as a health guide with AMAR Foundation – a London-based organization working on issues of displacement. She participated in health and vaccine awareness campaigns and street cleanups. In 2015, Zina was given an opportunity to take part in the Photographic Techniques to Empower Yazidi Girls project, initiated by RDO and supported by UNICEF.  The exhibition told the story and realities of Yazidi people living in the Khanke camp.  Since then, the exhibition was displayed in Iraq, Italy, and Lithuania and Zina’s story has been published in Reuters, POLKA Magazine, Yalla Iraq, and National Geographic.  Currently, Zina is pursuing a degree in Communications and Journalism in Lithuania.  

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