Refugee Artisan Trainer

Buthayna fled war-torn Syria in 2013. She eventually was granted refugee status and were resettled in the United States. She’s since found work as an artisan and trainer for Dallas-based social enterprise GAIA Empowered Women.

Date shot: October 2.

What neighborhood do you live in? Richardson.



What did you want to show through your images? I wanted to show the sequence of a regular day, usual tasks, and habits. I wanted images showing more of a refugee’s life. Pictures that will communicate with the viewers the commonalities and differences that we share. I tried to take the pictures in the exact order that I experience things to paint a true picture of everyday.



What do you feel people who don’t live in Dallas should know about it? Dallas is diverse and it welcomes people from all over the world with different backgrounds in so many ways, which makes it so unique. I’m sure Dallas isn’t the only place that does this, but I’m sure you are not able to find the amount of diversity in one neighborhood like you can in Dallas.

