In its day centre, MSF welcomes many unaccompanied minors who come from Sudan. Among them, “Texas” (name chosen by the boy) is 16-year-old and tried several times to cross unsuccessfully the English Channel by lorry.

During his stay at the MSF centre, he could benefit from the advice of our team, in particular of Margaux, social worker, and Jamal, an Arabic-speaker intercultural mediator. From August to October, the boy would come every week at the centre to find a place of respite, take a shower, eat warm food, and charge his phone.

During this time, exhausted by the unsuccessful attempts to cross the Channel, he reconsidered his project of going to the UK. On the 31st October, he decided to abandon his project to live in the UK. He quit Calais to go to the unaccompanied minors’ centre run by the local department and start a new life in France.

We will not mention further details on his life or migratory journey as this project was meant to leave children a space to express their feelings and their daily challenges.

The photos were taken by the child, with his consent for dissemination. Quotes were collected by the MSF team at the centre, and sometimes accompanied by a short explainer of the context or a quote of MSF team members.


“TEXAS”, 16 ANS, SUDAN – FEEDBACK ON THE PHOTO PROJECT

“The camera travelled with me all time. My objective was to show the life of people on the move in Calais, and our living conditions.

It was important to me to show the reality we face, as many people – citizens but also refugees – do not realize the way we live in Calais. Myself, I didn’t expect to live in a camp with no food and no access to water. Before coming to Calais, I didn’t image to live this life. I thought that crossing attempts were easier, and I couldn’t image it would have been so cold here.

Through my shots, I would like that people observe the reality as it is, without any judgement.

Before participating in this project, I have never had a camera. I have seen using it on the movies and at the TV. It was an amazing experience to have it on me, to take shots, and to see the outcome of the pictures I have taken during these days.

My favourite photo is the one of the clothes drying outside. Since the moment I took this picture, I knew that it was going to be my favourite one. It really represents life in the “jungle”1. People are homeless and they are obliged to wash their clothes outside in the river and dry them on the trees.