Depicting displaced people with dignity
Case Study: Solidar Suisse
Brief
The war in Ukraine has now been going on for over a year, and so humanitarian aid continues steadily. As a traditional humanitarian organisation, our client Solidar Suisse is dedicated to working in the war-torn country. With two local partner organisations, they are helping to strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine.
For its fundraising and communications work, Solidar Suisse requested new visual material from Fairpicture. It should give an impression on the current situation in Ukraine and especially on the refugees which have fled the war to safer regions of the country.
In their briefing, they stressed that there shouldn’t be any logos of Solidar Suisse in the visuals. They asked for authentic photos which reflect the work of their partner organisations and preserve the dignity of the people depicted, the contributors.
Client
Solidar Suisse
Visual Creator
Katya Moskalyuk
Theme
Humanitarian aid for internally displaced persons
Locations
Zakarpattia and Vinnytsia, Ukraine
Date
June 2023
Victoria was evacuated from the city of Orihiv, Zaporizhzhia region, last year. Now she lives in a shelter in the village of Kolchyno in Zakarpattia Oblast. Victoria is holding a kitten in her arms, which was taken from local residents. "We all lack home comfort," says Victoria.
Photo: Katya Moskalyuk / Solidar Suisse / Fairpicture
Context
In Ukraine, after the outbreak of war, many people had to leave their place of residence. The conflict has triggered the world's fastest-growing displacement crisis since World War II. More than a quarter of Ukraine's population has fled their homes: an estimated 5.4 million people are now internally displaced, mostly in western, central and eastern Ukraine.
Against this background, Solidar Suisse, together with the two Ukrainian organisations Vostok SOS and VIS, is providing humanitarian aid to people in need and to internally displaced people in urban and rural areas of the Zakarpattia and Vinnytsia oblasts as well as Dnipropetrovsk. They receive comprehensive support and are empowered through psychosocial counselling. A Safe Space for women and girls has been established in urban areas, providing them with an important opportunity to socialise, rebuild their social networks, acquire new professional skills, and access safe and victim-centred services.
The mobile brigade of the non-governmental organisation organised a drawing master class for the residents of the shelter in the village of Kolchyno. IDPs draw with coffee, listen to soothing music and, if they wish, can talk to a psychologist.
Photo: Katya Moskalyuk / Solidar Suisse / Fairpicture
Oksana and her daughter Daryna left the city of Kharkiv on the second day of the full-scale war. First, they were in the city of Lozova, Kharkiv region, and then they went to Poland. They stayed there until September last year and returned to Ukraine. “We decided to stay with relatives in the town of Pogrebyshche.” Communication with her peers is very important to Daryna, and she is very pleased that she can attend various classes and master classes in the village of Pogrebyshche. They both dream of returning home to Kharkiv as soon as possible.
Photo: Katya Moskalyuk / Solidar Suisse / Fairpicture
Daryna and her family came from Donetsk region. By education, she is a lawyer, PhD. She got a job in a specialty at "Затишно space". She often brings her son Leo here. "It is very important to be able to focus on self-realization, to work in your specialty. I would like this project to continue working. Otherwise, I will have to look for work and new housing again," says Daryna.
Photo: Katya Moskalyuk / Solidar Suisse / Fairpicture
Svitlana is raising two sons - Danylo and Nikita on her own. She, along with her children and her mother's friend, evacuated from the city of Slovyansk, Donetsk region. "I got very sick and needed an operation. Thanks to the financial aid, I was able to heal and save money for heating the apartment. The house in the town of Pogrebyshche, Vinnytsia Region, where I currently live with my children, has no heating. I need to buy firewood to survive the winter with children," says Svitlana.
Photo: Katya Moskalyuk / Solidar Suisse / Fairpicture
Outcome
Katya Moskalyuk, journalist and Fairpicture photographer from Lviv (Ukraine), took over this assignment in Zakarpattia and Vinnytsia, spending two days in each of the two cities.
Her local background as well as her high degree of empathy enabled her to create relationships with all of the people she photographed or filmed. Her selection of photos and video-interviews are artistic and documentary at the same time, giving authentic insights into the everyday life of Ukrainian refugees.
Solidar Suisse will now use the visual material created by Katya for all their various online and print media materials such as website, social media, magazine and fundraising letters.
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