RYVU PHOTO EXHIBIT IN UGANDA

Updates

14 Apr

We are delighted to share this update about our photo exhibit in Uganda, as a result of the project’s participatory photography methodology (see also this RYVU Snapshot about the work). The exhibit presents photos that were chosen by the young refugee photographers themselves, who are also active volunteers in their communities. These were organised around key themes that reflect what young people identified as significant, as well as analysis of wider RYVU data and dialogues with stakeholders.

The photo exhibit was launched in the four case study sites (Bidibidi, Kampala, Nakivale and Rwamwanja) in Uganda in March 2022. It was part of the stakeholder workshops engagement and is planned to be exhibited across Uganda and Northern Europe throughout 2022 and beyond.

The exhibit consists of photos taken by young refugees from Burundi, Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, documenting their experiences as volunteers in Uganda. This offers a new perspective on volunteering amongst vulnerable communities who are usually portrayed only as ‘recipients’ of aid, rather than agents of change.

Alongside the photos are comments from refugees and stakeholders on the meanings of the images and the roles volunteering plays in refugee lives. The exhibit has been visited by approximately 450 people to date in Uganda and served to prompt discussion amongst young refugees and stakeholders about the roles and limitations of volunteering for building skills and livelihoods. The responses to the exhibit have been captured through workshop discussions and audio-visually, and will be used to inform recommendations to policy and practice as well as to foster public debate in Uganda and beyond.