Through the eyes of children

Powerful photos, drawings and journal entries by young Palestinian refugees from Gaza 

Since October 2023, more than 100,000 Palestinians have crossed the border into Egypt to escape the war in Gaza. Save the Children provides a range of essential services to these refugees, including mental health support for children – ensuring they have access to therapy, art, music, and creative expression workshops, all of which help them process and heal from the trauma they’ve endured. 

Earlier this year, Oscar-nominated director, photographer and Save the Children Ambassador Misan Harriman hosted a creative workshop with a group of refugee children aged between 11 and 13, providing them with a creative outlet to express their emotions. 

The workshop included a technical session focused on using the cameras, covering lighting, angles, backdrops, and directing subjects. The children then worked in pairs, rotating through four themed stations – portraits, action, detail, and environment – to explore different photography styles. By combining these elements, each child discovered ways to shape and share their own story. 

“To see them thrive and learn is a real reminder of what has been taken from them,” said Harriman. “And why aid organisations like Save the Children are now more important than ever.”​   

After the workshop, each child received a scrapbook and a camera to keep, allowing them to continue capturing different aspects of their lives in Egypt. The scrapbooks included prompts to guide their photography and encourage reflection on their daily experiences – from life after fleeing conflict to resettling in Cairo.  

With the support of volunteers, the children photographed their families, friends, homes, and meaningful personal objects. They filled their scrapbooks with these photographs, along with drawings and written reflections. Through this creative process, they captured not only their present reality but also memories of Palestine and a collective sense of pride in their identity: 

“My Superpower would be the ability to change events in order to help my country become free,” wrote 12-year old Rawan^*


"The best thing I own is my camera because by having it with me I am able to document the happy beautiful moments in every second and moment as reference for me,” wrote 12-year-old Toleen^*.

13-year old Shadi’s^* drawing of himself in a child friendly space.

“When I enter the child friendly space,” Shadi wrote in his scrapbook, “I feel as if I have entered my second home, a place that embraces me with love and safety. Here, the colours are as bright as my dreams.” 

13-year-old Khaled^* with the scrapbook he filled with his photos, drawings and journal entries. 

“I feel proud that I am Palestinian,” Khaled wrote. “I feel proud that I am a child with my own identity and feel I have a positive future. I will work hard until I return to my country and home, Gaza, where I was born and raised.”   

With every photo, sketch and sentence, these young refugees show us who they are, where they come from, and what they dream of. They are giving a voice to a generation of children who refuse to be forgotten. 

You can support creative healing for children from Gaza by donating to our Gaza emergency appeal.  

 ^*Names have been changed for privacy. 

 Photos: Anna Sass & Misan Harriman/Save the Children in collaboration with Choose Love