People, 2nd prize
Finding Freedom in the Water
Anna Boyiazis
24 November, 2016
A young woman learns to float, in the Indian Ocean, off Nungwi, Zanzibar.
Traditionally, girls in the Zanzibar Archipelago are discouraged from learning how to swim, largely because of the strictures of a conservative Islamic culture and the absence of modest swimwear. But in villages on the northern tip of Zanzibar, the Panje Project (panje translates as ‘big fish’) is providing opportunities for local women and girls to learn swimming skills in full-length swimsuits, so that they can enter the water without compromising their cultural or religious beliefs.
Anna Boyiazis
Her areas of focus include human rights, public health, and women's and girls’ issues. Through her work, she aims to elicit compassion and bring our shared humanity to the fore. ...
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