Welcome to our Jungle is a participatory photography project that was based in the refugee camp known as the ‘Jungle’ in Calais, giving a much needed platform for the voices of those directly affected by the crisis. Miguel Amórtegui, Becky Matthews and Clare Struthers (all copyright reserved) worked with a group of men, women and children in the camp from November 2015 until its demolition in November 2016. The project bring us a unique perspective and insight into the crisis, of which they are at the centre, in an attempt to provide a counter narrative to the predominantly negative and unbalanced rhetoric broadcast in the mainstream media.
One of the project participants was Sitara, a 9-year-old girl from Afghanistan (pictured below).
How to be Happy
I’m sure we should all be as happy as Kings
We are all in the Jungle
All as free as wings.I’m sure we should all be as happy as Kings
We live in a caravan
We live as safe as dreams.I’m sure we should all be as happy as Kings
But I’m not happy –
I pretend to be happy.
