110 marieclaire.com.auPHOTOGRAPHED BY MOE ZOYARI. TEXT BY HANNAH-ROSE YEE AND ERIN COOK. *“RESILIENCE AND HAPPINESS DEPEND ON GRATITUDE, EMPATHY AND MINDFULNESS”,THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. ˆ“THE MENTAL HEALTH
OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS” 2015, HEALTH.GOV.AU. †HOMELESSNESSAUSTRALIA.ORG.AU.‡ZOYARI.COMMC FACT 17% of Australia’s homeless population – or roughly 17,845 – is under 12 years of age.
†AKGADFFERE
CEKA
EREFFDAGECMAD
AUSTRALIA
In Australia, one in four
teenagers and one in
seven primary schoolers
will suffer from a mental
illness.* These alarming
statistics prompted Jane
Martino (below) to
champion a more holistic
approach to wellness andan age-appropriate
mindfulness app. “We
[designed] it so it would
connect young people
because whether we like
it or not, they’re engaged
with technology.”
Smiling Mind can
be accessed for free viaand offers programs for
everyone from seven to- Each guided meditation
utilises relaxation and
breathing techniques to
create clarity and calm.
Martino’s vision is
to be on the Australian
curriculum by 2020 as a
“pre-emptive mental health
tool”. And with over one
million downloads, she
must be onto something.
“It’s not just [students]
who are using the program
regularly,” she says. “It’s
everyday people.”
Smiling Mind can be
downloaded via the App
Store and Google Play.
MINDFULNESS FOR MINORS
The creator of a wellness app for children believes just
five minutes of meditation can improve mental health11%
The percentage of
12-to-17-year-olds
who report self-
harming behaviour.ˆHOMELESS,
NOT HELPLESS
GLOBAL
These not-for-profits
assist people
sleeping rough –
sans handoutsBack On My Feet
The benefits of running extend
way beyond fitness. Back On
My Feet is a US-based run
club that brings homeless
men and women together
three times a week for an early
morning jog, also connecting
them with employment and
housing opportunities.Luminary Bakery
Based in East London, this
bakery sells cakes, brownies
and muffins. The twist?
They’re all lovingly baked
by disadvantaged women.
Founder Alice Boyle created
the program to help break the
cycle of women’s poverty,
prostitution and abuse.Metro Atlanta Task
Force For The Homeless
This homeless shelter
proves that urban farming
isn’t just for hipsters. Sitting
atop the refuge in Georgia,
US, is an organic rooftop
garden where residents learn
about food production and
sustainable technologies
through gardening.Lentil As Anything
The Lentil As Anything
restaurants in Sydney and
Melbourne invite customers
to pay what they think their
vegetarian meals are worth,
and funnel these donations
back into the community. They
also offer volunteer staff the
opportunity to gain experience
in the hospitality industry.AFGHANISTAN
AFTER WAR
Some 15 years after the first bullet was fired in the war
in Afghanistan, a new photo project celebrates the
country’s slow road to redemption. Moe Zoyari, an
Iranian-American photojournalist, travelled to the
country to document the 2009 elections. In his spare
time, he roamed the streets of Kabul and Herat,
where he witnessed everyday Afghans – mostly
women and children– rebuilding their lives in the
midst of war. Zoyari’s images, collected together in
a series called “The Life After War”, capture women
in moments of reflection and prayer, and children
gleefully playing in the streets‡. Adds Zoyari: “With
my photos, I would like to show that even if life in
Afghanistan is painful, hope never goes away.”Moe Zoyari’s photographs
of everyday Afghanistan
portray hope and resilience.World wrap