Cheka kidogo. It means 'laugh a little' in Swahili.
And surprisingly people still are, despite living in the midst of one of the world's deadliest civil wars, which has already killed more than five million people, and made one million homeless.
Portrait Photographer, Rankin, travelled with Oxfam to a refugee camp in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the heart of this generally unreported conflict. The result is a stunning series of pictures, capturing the resilience and fatalism of those living there.
Despite the daily threat of violence and rape, these portraits capture people's true personalities, and highlight their humanity, their strength, and their hope in the future.
It's a different face of conflict.
Cheka Kidogo is sponsored by The Co-operative Bank, a long term supporter of Oxfam. Money raised from the Oxfam Credit Card, 12.9% APR Typical / Variable, which is kindly provided by The Co-operative Bank, supports our work across the world, including the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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In the news
Rankin explains his approach and motivation for this exhibition:
- The exhibition: in pictures (external site)
- Today, Radio 4
(audio visual) - BBC World (video)
