Eyes of Resilience

• Photographer
  Philipp Schmieja
• Technical Info
  Sony A6000, Sigma 105mm
• Photo Date
  August 2025

Her eyes tell stories that words cannot capture. Her name is Abeni. She is not just a girl or a face. She is heritage. She is resilience. She is a daughter of a tribe that knows how to withstand attrocities. She is a Kanuri who reside in the northeast corner of Nigeria, and she has lived in the town Bama, close to the Lake Chad. Her town was attacked several times by terrorists, she fled her home and is now living in a refugee camp near Maiduguri. Thank you Abeni for showing me the world through your eyes.

Self-taught photographer and passionate traveler. I discovered my passion for photography during traveling African countries. I had developed a fascination for tribes. This has been underpinned by my passion for photography. Tribal people are those who have unique customs. They often have a symbiotic bond with the environments in which they live. I am using photography as a medium to capture candid moments as well as community spirit and portraits.