Refugee children and youth demonstrate resilience and find solace in naturePhotovoice is a participatory action research method that uses photographs taken by participants and accompanying narratives to understand individual and community-level needs and strengths. Photovoice is often used to explore social issues and advocate for change. This study used photovoice to understand the lived experiences of Syrian refugees in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. Most of the refugees in the Bekaa Valley live in informal settlements, where health and safety – along with a number of other factors – are serious concerns.
Twenty-six children and youth (age 8-18) – all refugees from Syria – participated in the study. They were recruited from two schools in the Bekaa Valley. The participants were given cameras and asked to take photographs documenting their lives in the Bekaa Valley over a period of two days. They were informed in advance that selected photographs would be used to tell their story “to the international community as an awareness and advocacy tool.” After the photos were developed, each participant selected two or three images to share during an individual discussion with a local staff member. The participants were asked to reflect on what is seen and happening in their photo and explain how it related to their lives. They were also asked to share ideas about why the situation, concern or strength existed and to reflect on any possible changes to the situations depicted in the photos. Content analysis of the interview transcriptions, along with 73 photos submitted by the participants, were used during the data analysis process.
Content-analysis led to the identification of five primary themes, each highlighting a different aspect of the participants’ lived experiences in the settlements: “(i) nature as solace, (ii) relationships impact the experience of displacement, (iii) the importance of school and accomplishments, (iv) photos as tools for dealing with change and (v) the effects of trauma and loss.” Four of these categories reflect the participant’s resilience and coping strategies; only one on experiences relating to trauma. The “nature as solace” theme encompassed three different ways in which nature was perceived: “ ‘love for uniformity seen in nature,’ ‘nature is useful’ and ‘nature provides positive emotions’.”
This research indicates that a number of factors – including nature, family connections, school, friends, accomplishments, and the broader community – can promote the emotional resilience of children and adolescent refugees in their host country. The study also demonstrates the usefulness of photovoice in capturing the “lived experience” of children and youth who are living in a refugee situation.
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