Shattered Pieces of a Homeland

al Azmeh – the crisis – is ever-present and inescapable. This photo essay aims to illustrate the life of Syrian women refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. All the women interviewed have to navigate an unfamiliar and often unnerving new environment. Most face a daily struggle to find enough money to afford the rent, buy food and basic items, or access services such as health care. Their stories are often heart- breaking: families that were separated by the war, mothers having no choice but to let their children work, or leaving their children alone to go find a way to make make ends meet. These are their stories. Many of the women’s memories are difficult, but they shared them unreservedly hoping that their stories will be heard and prevent the Syrian crisis from being forgotten. They are regaining control of their lives and hope to be able to eventually move beyond the crisis as they fight to provide for their families but the memories of their former lives and the trauma of war haunts them.

David Brunetti is a London based photojournalist working worldwide, specialising in editorial, portraiture and in-depth documentary photography. David’s personal projects are visual narratives, gathered over extended periods of time, which confront issues of human rights, migration, refugees, conflict and identity. With a particular interest in humanitarian issues affecting identity in (post) conflict situations, David aims to capture images that will influence, leave lasting impressions, move and inspire. David’s photography has featured in a variety of publications including ROOF, The Guardian and Wall Street Journal. Recognition of his work has culminated in a number of photography awards, including Fujifilm Distinctions Awards, the International Photography Awards and Prix de la Photographie. David currently dedicates much of his time to long-term photojournalism and reportage work and regularly photographs for documentary and exhibition projects, in addition to other assignments. Contact David: www.davidbrunetti.com www.davidbrunetti.wordpress.com @david_brunetti