Contrasting Lives: Collages Highlighting Children’s Diverse Experiences Worldwide

Uğur Gallenkush, an Istanbul-based digital artist, creates heartbreaking collages that depict the contrasts between different parts of the world. By juxtaposing images of these different realities, the artist aims to illustrate the wide range of issues affecting children today, including poverty, hunger, and child trafficking. “One question we all ask at some point, especially when we understand what it means to be a parent, is this: What legacy are we leaving the children of the world?” asks the artist.

Witnessing all of this injustice has even inspired Uğur to publish a book titled “Parallel Universes of Children.” “The book takes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children, enforced since 1990, as its foundation, aiming to convey, through these 50 collages, the essential rights each child should have, regardless of their circumstances or geography,” explains the artist. “Each collage represents one of the U.N.-determined rights of children and is accompanied by statistics indicating the pressing realities putting children in danger worldwide.”

Uğur hopes that his book will inspire a shift in the consciousness of adults, urging them to leave their greed and egos behind in order to make the world a better place for today’s children. “This book is dedicated to all children in the world: poor or rich, in developed countries or underdeveloped countries, educated or uneducated, hungry or obese, or dead or living,” says the artist. “This book is a CALL TO ACTION!”

Professioп Before Edυcatioп

This is Shaila, a 15-year-old sex worker. Dυe to her stepmother’s tortυre, she raп away from home aпd tried to go to her aυпt’s iп Dhaka, Baпgladesh. “Somehow I maпaged to get a seat oп a bυs which was goiпg to Dhaka. There was too mυch traffic, so my bυs was stυck iп oпe place for hoυrs. It was gettiпg darker aпd I did пot kпow what to do. Wheп I got off the bυs, it was midпight, 12 am. I was so afraid that I asked every siпgle female passeпger to give me a shelter for oпe пight. I was cryiпg aпd did пot kпow what to do. No oпe believed me. If oп that day, someoпe woυld have giveп me a shelter for jυst oпe пight, my life woυld пot have falleп iпto hell,” she said. Dυriпg the joυrпey, she was kidпapped by a groυp aпd she foυпd herself iп a brothel.

 Children Are Children First – Seesaw

On March 27, 2015, a Syrian boy perches on a decimated tank in the Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab.

Bathing At War, Bathing At Peace

In 2015, Gaza, Salem Saoody, aged 30, bathes his daughter Layan (L) and his niece Shaymaa, aged 5 (R), in the only remaining fragment of their demolished house—the bathtub—following an Israeli airstrike.

I See You

On September 6, 2017, a Rohingya refugee girl stands among newly arrived refugees who escaped from Myanmar and sought refuge in Ukhiya, Bangladesh. With children comprising approximately 60 percent of the Rohingya population that fled into Bangladesh, many below the age of 18 arrived in the makeshift tents profoundly traumatized after witnessing the loss of family members and the destruction of their homes.

Wounded Girl With A Pearl Earring

On February 21, 2018, a wounded Syrian girl undergoes treatment at a makeshift hospital in Kafr Batna after bombings in the Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.

Child Soldiers

On February 7, 2018, a group of recently freed child soldiers gathered in a line, awaiting their registration during a release ceremony in Yambio, South Sudan. Over 300 child soldiers, including 87 girls, were released in the war-torn region of Yambio as part of a program aimed at assisting their reintegration into society, according to the United Nations.

School-Bound

On March 25, 2015, a Syrian schoolgirl was seen crossing through a damaged wall outside her school in the Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab. This incident occurred after Islamic State (ISIS) fighters were expelled from Kobane on January 26 by Kurdish and allied forces.

Children Are Children First – Swings

On September 3, 2017, amidst the celebration of the third day of the Eid al-Adha holiday, a Syrian boy found joy playing on a swing in a destroyed building in the rebel-held town of Douma, located on the eastern outskirts of Damascus. This poignant image serves as a reminder that despite the surrounding conflict, children are children first and still seek moments of happiness and normalcy.

Earning Play

Children in Fatullah, near Dhaka in Bangladesh, can be seen working at a brick factory. They earn the equivalent of 0.9 USD for every thousand bricks they carry. This unfortunate reality highlights the harsh conditions and economic struggles faced by many children in certain regions, where they are forced to work at a young age instead of having the opportunity to enjoy their childhood and access education.

Lunch Break

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, two child laborers take a brief break from their work at the factory to have their lunch. This image captures the reality of child labor and the challenging circumstances that many young individuals face in their daily lives. It serves as a reminder of the urgent need to address child labor issues and ensure that every child has access to proper education, safety, and opportunities for a brighter future.

Best Friends

Inside the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, a 5-year-old girl named Noha Abū Mesleh is captured within the walls of her home. This poignant image highlights the resilience and strength of individuals living in challenging circumstances. It reminds us of the profound connections and friendships that can be formed even in the midst of adversity, emphasizing the importance of support and companionship in difficult times.

Peaceful Sleep

In the intensive care unit of the district hospital in Mora, Far North Region, Cameroon, a father stays by his child’s side. The most common diseases among African children are malaria, diarrhea, and malnutrition. February 20, 2019.

Children Are Children First – Skiing

Children bear the brutal cost of endless war. Last year, as ten children from the same family were walking to school, they stumbled upon an unexploded mortar bomb—a common sight in Afghanistan, where the conflict between the Taliban and US-backed national forces continues to rage. Unaware of its nature and the dangers it posed, the curious kids picked up the device and took it to show their aunt. And then it exploded. Three children and their older relative lost their lives, while the remaining seven suffered the loss of at least one limb each.

A Rohingya Refugee Mother and Child

A Rohingya refugee mother and her child embark on a journey from Myanmar to Bangladesh. According to the UNHCR, over 720,000 Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar, crossing the border to seek safety in Bangladesh.

Crossing the Red Sea

A Rohingya refugee woman holds her son, seen after arriving by boat at the nearest beach to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, Shah Porir Dip Island Teknaf, Bangladesh, September 14, 2017.

Children Are Children First – Balloons

Syrian children run with balloons past heavily damaged buildings in the neighborhood of Jobar on the eastern outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 9, 2016.

Not All Heroes Wear Medals

In Syria, men carrying babies navigate through the debris of demolished buildings after an airstrike was reported in the rebel-held Salihiin neighborhood of the northern city of Aleppo on September 11, 2016.

Red Lipstick, Ocean Eyes

Meet Rosina. She is a 14-year-old sex worker in Bangladesh.

Waiting For A Chance

In 2014, Palestinian children in the Dair Al Balah refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip patiently waited to collect drinking water from public taps, filling jerrycans and bottles.

Until Every Girl Goes To School

In 2013, Pakistani girls bravely attended a school that had been targeted twice by the Taliban. This school is located in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

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