BUDDIES
Enock Yohane & Eva Ehlert & Davison Dudu
Eva, Enock en Davison bespreken hoe het is om je eenzaam en buitengesloten te voelen. Door hun foto's willen ze laten zien dat ze zich in elkaar herkennen.
FOTO DIALOOG
Eerste foto
Eva (20)
Ik ben mentaal en fysiek heftig gepest waardoor ik mijn emoties niet liet zien omdat dat de pesters dan meer dingen hebben die ze kunnen gebruiken voor het pesten. In de foto zie je in de spiegel dat ik veel emotie toon terwijl je dit niet terugziet in mijn zithouding.
Reactie foto
Davison (22)
Eva’s photo shows a painful truth. She is alone, sitting and crying while looking in the mirror. She is holding her head because her heart is heavy. This is what mental pain looks like. At school, Eva is being tortured by others. They laugh at her, they bully her, and they make her feel small. Because of this, her mind is tired and she feels like nobody cares.
I took this photo to show we see her pain. Too many students in Malawi suffer like this but we stay quiet. We think it is just “school life” but it is not. Mental pain is real. It can break a person.
My response photo is about hope. In the photo I took, I am sitting with Eva. I am not talking much. I am just there. My hand is on her back to say “you are not alone.”
To Eva and others like her, I want to say: your life matters. You are important. The bullying can stop, and the pain can get better. But you must not carry it alone. Talk to a teacher, a matron, a parent, or a counsellor.
As students, let us stop torturing each other. Let us be the ones who give comfort. One kind person can save a life
Reactie foto
Enock (20)
This photograph is my response to the photo my buddy Eva shared, which showed emotions and silent struggles with mental health. The image I took shows the reflection of a person sitting alone with their hands covering their face. This represents emotional pain, stress, loneliness, and the deep thoughts that many people experience but rarely express openly.
I chose to show the person as a reflection in a mirror to symbolize the hidden battles people fight within themselves. The mirror represents self-reflection and inner emotions. Sometimes a person may appear normal on the outside, while inside they feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or emotionally broken.
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Through this picture, I wanted to tell my buddy that I understand mental struggles are real, even when they are invisible to others.
FOTO DIALOOG
Eerste foto
Davison
My first photo is about how we treat each other because of language. In the picture, there is a boy talking to his friend. They were laughing and sharing stories. But when the friend starts to speak, his accent from the village comes out. Suddenly, the boy changes. He turns his head and looks at another person. He is not listening anymore.
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I took this photo because this is real life in Malawi. Many of us do this. When we hear someone speak Chitumbuka, Chiyao, or deep Chichewa from the district, we think they are not smart. We move away. We choose friends who speak like people from town.
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WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO MY BUDDY (OR ANYONE) WITH THIS PICTURE IS: brother, think about what you are doing. That friend you are ignoring has a good heart. He can help you, he can teach you. But you will never know because you judged his mouth. Our accents are not a mistake. They show our home. If we keep doing this, Malawi will not be one. Please, let us stop and listen to people, not their accent.
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Today I understand that words are more important than accent. My friend from Karonga or Mulanje has ideas that can help me. If I close my ears, I am the one who loses.
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In Malawi we say "Umodzi ndi mphamvu" - unity is strength. But there is no unity if we laugh at each other's language. So my response is simple: I choose to respect. I choose to listen. I will not make anyone feel small because of their mother tongue.
Reactie foto
Eva
Mijn buddy Davison gaf aan dat hij moeite had met de taalbarrière. In de foto die ik daarover heb gemaakt bied ik een hand aan om je omhoog te helpen. Ook als er een taalbarrière is, als je van beide kanten helpt kom je er wel uit. Allebei een beetje schikken maar het is beter om de hand te pakken en het samen te proberen duidelijk te krijgen dan dit alleen proberen te doen.
Eerste foto
Enock
I am sitting alone in the darkness while a small amount of light shines on my face. The darkness around me symbolizes confusion, stress, and loneliness, while the light represents hope and the possibility of healing.
My pose shows deep thought, as if I am trapped in my own mind and trying to understand what I truly feel inside. I want to show that mental struggles are often invisible. A person may look okay or calm on the outside while carrying heavy thoughts within.
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Sometimes people stay quiet because they feel unheard, misunderstood, or afraid of being judged. I want to encourage others to look beyond appearances and check in on the people around them, because not every struggle can be seen. It is okay to feel lost sometimes, and to think deeply about life and emotions.
Nobody should have to face their struggles alone. Even in the darkest moments, there is always a small light that can guide someone toward hope.
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NB: Door uitval van een deelnemer heeft Enock geen reactiefoto op zijn verhaal. Hij is samen met Davison en Eva verder gegaan.