By:Tasnim Ali Al Absi
Taiz – in a war-torn and impoverished Yemen, Rania’s story is a beacon of resilience and determination. The 45-year-old single mother has overcome adversity to become a successful photographer, never giving up for her dreams and the future of her children.
Rania is a widowed mother of three children, a daughter and two sons. She lost her husband when she was young, and has been raising her children on her own ever since. Rania’s life has been marked by hardship, from her childhood in a poor family without access to education to her early marriage, which failed to live up to her hopes.
Rania is not the only one in this situation. According to a report by the United Nations Population Fund in April 2022, the number of households headed by women in Yemen has reached 26% of the total displaced households, estimated at 4.3 million people. This is a significant increase from 9% before the conflict in 2015, due to the loss of male breadwinners in the war.
Rania is a devoted mother who is determined to provide for her children and ensure that they have a good life. Her love for her children is the driving force behind her determination to provide for them. She says, “I can’t just leave them like this. They have no one but me. So, I’ll do whatever it takes.” Yet her unwavering devotion to her children transcends her own personal pain and loss.
Ambition
Rania started her journey from scratch by working as a domestic worker. She worked long hours for meager wages, and often had to feed her children with the leftovers of the families she worked for. Rania’s children wore hand-me-down clothes. She did not see this as a sign of shame. “When they grow up, they will be able to provide for themselves. For now, the important thing is that they survive this difficult stage in their lives,” she says.
Rania often takes pictures with simple cameras or mobile phones available to her. She loves capturing the beauty of everyday life, and she hopes to one day turn her passion into a career.
“A single image can capture our emotions and experiences that words often fail to describe,” she explains.
Amani, a friend of Rania, says “Rania’s determination to pursue her dream of becoming a photographer at a photography institute, despite the challenges she faces, is truly inspiring.”
Amani also believes that mothers like Rania are few, as they face the challenges of life head-on, but still manage to keep their dreams alive. She describes them as “extraordinary.”
Despite her initial failures, she finally got into a photography school after two years of on-and-off attempts. But it wasn’t easy. Her daily obligations got in the way. She needed time to study, but she was working nonstop to feed her kids and provide for their daily expenses.
Rania explains: “It was exhausting. I tried to balance providing for the family’s expenses and paying for the photography institute. I couldn’t, and I was forced to choose. Family expenses was the only option available.”
In order to achieve this balance, Rania worked in more than three houses as a cleaner, which helped her join the institute to learn the basics of photography.
Despite her inability to afford specialized tools for learning, Rania used the institute’s cameras and her mobile phone to take pictures, as a feasible solution, and she excelled in creating imaginative images that express her state and feelings.
Rania improved her skills and mastered the profession as quickly as possible, despite being illiterate. She graduated from the institute and began looking for job opportunities in the field of photography. Rania’s journey to becoming a professional photographer was not easy. There are so many experienced photographers with the latest cameras and equipment. But Rania was determined. She took advantage of every opportunity that came her way, whether it was shooting weddings and events, or doing outdoor or indoor portrait sessions.
Rania’s instructor, Wael Al-Samawi, describes her desire to learn as a “true struggle.” “Despite being older than her classmates, and with her limited resources, she was always willing to learn. She was the most inquisitive and detail-oriented student in the class. I was really impressed by her,” he adds.
Rania’s name quickly spread throughout her neighborhood, and her reputation grew. She became the go-to photographer for many families, and her new profession became not just her source of income, but also her passion.
Rania’s efforts did not stop there. She remained a constant shield for her children, balancing work, study, and emotional support for her children by attending their school awards ceremonies as their guardian to share in their joy.
Rania is a single mother who is both a mother and a father to her children. She is a source of pride for them, as she has always prioritized their education and pushed them to succeed. Her daughter has been accepted to a prestigious university to study journalism, and her twin sons have received scholarships to study abroad.At the age of forty, Rania was able to change her circumstances from an illiterate woman to a professional photographer.
She says: “Age is just a number, and will is what makes miracles happen. I am a widowed mother, but I did not give up on my circumstances. I faced them with hard work and learning. Behind every great child is a great mother, and I am proud to have been a role model for my children.”
