The Camera Companion

The hardest thing I have ever seen is sick children dying in the hospital in front of me and cameras.” Mona Al-Hajri

In the corridors of the hospital, a man who appeared to be poor put his sick child on the bed and stood aside, waiting. The child was diagnosed with platelet insufficiency and placed in the intensive care unit. His treatment would be costly. The father excused himself and disappeared from the scene – he could not afford the treatment.

Mona was moving in the corridors of the hospital, where she worked as a assistant, carrying the camera that accompanied her wherever she went. When she first saw the child languishing on his bed alone, she already knew his story. She took a picture of him, and posted it on social media. She presented his case to solicit the cooperation of the director of the hospital, as well as donors and benefactors, and was able to save the child’s life.

Mona had studied laboratory medicine. After graduating she could not find a job. Her poetic talent, however, helped her to be recognised by the director of a hospital in Hodeidah, when she gave a poem at a public event. She started to work in the hospital in addition to her volunteering activities. She witnessed much suffering. Some parents came from remote areas carrying their children, only to see them die in front of them.

She worked to seek treatment for the cases that needed help, in coordination with pharmaceutical firms and supporters. She established a mobile pharmacy in the affected areas. She posted images and presentations on social networking sites about patients who needed treatment. She also helped coordinate courses for girls in the fields of environment, health and hygiene.

After fleeing the tragic situation in Hodeidah, Mona is now a displaced person in Sana’a. In the activities she participates in, and in the fields of health and education, she is trying to represent the cause of her province and draw attention to the plight of its people.