Marie Claire South Africa — January 2018

reportage

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Life on the island would be precarious even without these

attacks – or the two violent cyclones that hit Socotra at the end

of 2015. Though the war devastating Yemen has not crossed

the sea to Socotra, its effects are felt. Ties between the island

and the mainland have been all but completely severed. The

air blockade forces people to travel from the mainland by boat,

and the journey is dangerous (there have been at least two

shipwrecks in the past few months). The only planes currently

allowed to land in the local airport are those from the UAE,

which could well mean the advent of luxury hotels. Sadiya has

already expressed her disdain for the Emirati investors.

Having overcome so much, she remains strong, her spirit

unbroken, her dreams still in focus.

In a society where women are relegated to near invisibility,

where it is shameful for a woman to show her face, taking

pictures of Sadiya was a real challenge.

‘Her eldest sons didn’t want me to take pictures, and

I was constantly afraid that a family member or neighbour

would damage my camera,’ says Amira.

Despite this pressure, Sadiya allowed Amira to accompany

her as she went about her days, and even encouraged the

photographer to carry on with her project. And still, Sadiya

remained somewhat nervous about the photos and asked

to review every image, approving only a careful selection

of them for publication. As a result, Sadiya’s face will never

be shown.

‘It’s an interesting exercise,’ says Amira, ‘to tell a woman’s

story without relying on her facial expressions.’ mc

WORDS

KATIE BREEN

PHOTOGRAPHS

AMIRA AL SHARIF/LE PICTORIUM AGENCY