Manchmal male ich ein Haus für uns

A house, a bathroom with a shower – these are the things that 10-year-old Tajala from Afghanistan can only dream of or draw. She had to flee and is now stranded in the Kara Tepe refugee camp on Lesbos.

Photographer and aid worker Alea Horst spoke with her and other children, asking them about their daily lives in the camp, their experiences, fears, and dreams, as well as their favorite jokes. The result is a heart-wrenching collection of portraits, snapshots, and dramatic yet hopeful accounts.

The talented photographer gives a face and voice to the camp children with this book. Illustrator Mehrdad Zaeri, who himself once fled from Iran, visualizes their yearnings in atmospheric vignettes.