As migrant families flee persecution and terror in their home countries across the Caribbean/Central/South America, they travel dangerous routes through Mexico until they come to the borders between the US and Mexico. They legally try to seek asylum. As hundreds of desperate families go through this, they often spend days at shelters on both sides of the border waiting for next steps. We are giving free portraits to these families and bringing them a bit of joy through new keepsakes.
Families have been coming to the borders between Mexico and the US to safely and legally seek asylum and refuge for years. The issue of border crossings have become convoluted and politicized, but the fact remains that those families are escaping horrendous situations for a reason. The process to seek asylum can take a while, and the families are stuck at shelters on both sides of the borders with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They left their belongings and heirlooms behind.
Retake cannot expedite or help with their legal paperwork, but we can give them something to hold on to and cherish: a photograph. We can give them a break from their current situation through a dignified photoshoot. The portraits we give them offer them a little happiness and joy. And when they are resettled or in a new home, they will have pictures to put on their new walls. We also give digital copies so they can update their loved ones around the world with their new photos.
This project has a huge potential long-term impact. The families we meet with have the chance to share their stories, to take a step back from their current situation and have a dignified experience, to receive new keepsakes and heirlooms in the form of portraits, and so much more. Our aim is to give them a chance to smile. Over the years, they will have those portraits to look at and to cherish.
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