Six-Day Photo Camp Arranged for Fata Journalists

A six-day “photo camp” for 15 young aspiring journalists from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) sponsored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) opened here at a local hotel on Thursday.

USAID Acting Mission Director Rodger Garner inaugurated the photo exhibition that showcases photos by the participants of that training.

The camp was conducted in partnership with the Washington, DC-based National Geographic Society, whose magazine is internationally renowned for its extraordinary photography. The event was designed to enhance the journalists’ professional photography skills so that they can better tell their stories through visual images.

“It is not often that we see positive stories – stories of courage, stories of promise, stories of hope – coming from FATA, but perhaps you all will be the ones to tell them. I certainly have every confidence that you can,” said USAID Acting Mission Director Rodger Garner at the exhibition.

The photo camp has offered the participants the chance to explore through the camera’s lens visually striking sites like the vibrant Raja Bazaar in Rawalpindi, the ancient Buddhist ruins at Taxila, and the pristine valleys of Nathia Gali.

The 15 young photographers attending the workshop hail from diverse economic, social, and cultural backgrounds in Pakistan’s tribal areas and range in age from 19 to 25. The camp was not only a unique opportunity for the participants to learn new skills from world class photograhers; it was also a chance to meet other youth from FATA.

with a passion for photography and share the stories of their communities.

(The Nation)