Valentin Bianchi

Photographer

Flee for Her

Clients: The New York Times, The Associated Press, Le Monde, L'Obs, Wilfried Magazine

Fraipont, Belgium. July 17th, ...cision from the Aliens Office.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 17th, 2014. Binta, accompanied by her mother, Fatoumata, and a friend she met at the Fraipont Asylum Seekers Centre, enjoy a beautiful summer day. The days are long for these families waiting for a decision from the Aliens Office.

Fraipont, Belgium. September 1...s of their asylum application.

Fraipont, Belgium. September 17th, 2014. a group of asylum seekers are waiting for the opening of the social worker's office in the Fraipont Red Cross Centre for Asylum Seekers. Most of the time to find out the status of their asylum application.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 17th, ... the war in former Yugoslavia.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 17th, 2014. The Fraipont Red Cross Centre for asylum seekers is located about 30km from Liège. It can accommodate several hundred people. Its opening dates back to the time of the war in former Yugoslavia.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, ...Red Cross to receive refugees.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, 2014. Most women fleeing their countries of origin to save their daughters from female genital mutilation are gathered in common rooms. Most often, two families live together. The Fraipont Red Cross Centre is a former holiday centre for the children of the staff of a large Belgian company. But for more than 25 years, it has been taken over by the Belgian Red Cross to receive refugees.

Fraipont, Belgium. September 1...very respected and humane man.

Fraipont, Belgium. September 17th, 2014. A mother watches her daughter play with other children from the Fraipont Centre. The centre currently receives several hundred people from various backgrounds. The director, Mr Emmanuel SIDAYIHEBURA, of Rwandan origin, is a very respected and humane man.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, ... the war in former Yugoslavia.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, 2014. The Fraipont Red Cross Centre for asylum seekers is located about 30km from Liège. It can accommodate several hundred people. Its opening dates back to the time of the war in former Yugoslavia.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, ...n a centre for asylum seekers.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, 2014. Some women have decided to flee their country as soon as they become pregnant. The wish to save their daughter from female genital mutilation being stronger than anything else. They gave birth to their daughter on the road to exile or sometimes, as here, in a centre for asylum seekers.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 17th, ...ther friend of Guinean origin.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 17th, 2014. Fatoumata, dresses her daughter Binta before going out for a walk in the surroundings of the Centre. Fatoumata shares a room with another friend of Guinean origin.

Fraipont, Belgium. September 1... but life in a refugee centre.

Fraipont, Belgium. September 10th, 2014. Binta plays near a window of the Red Cross centre for asylum seekers of Fraipont. Like many other little girls, her mother fled her country to save her from female genital mutilation. Some little girls have known almost nothing but life in a refugee centre.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, ...ng what she's escaped.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, 2014. Foulematou, a native of Sierra Leone, talks about her story to her daughter Aïcha for the first time. It's difficult for her to bring up all her memories, but she wants her daughter realizing what she's escaped.

Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, 2014. Foulematou, a native of Sierra Leone, talks about her story to her daughter Aïcha, 13 years old, for the first time. It's difficult for her to bring up all her memories, but she wants her daughter realizing what she's escaped.

Fraipont, Belgium. September 1...h the family they left behind.

Fraipont, Belgium. September 10th, 2014. In early September, the centre welcomes many women from East Africa, particularly from Somalia and Eritrea. Most of them try to keep in touch by phone with the family they left behind.

Fraipont, Belgium. September 1... more than 97% in the country.

Fraipont, Belgium. September 10th, 2014. Fatoumata, a native of Guinea, fled her country to save her daughter, Binta, from female genital mutilation.
Like many West African women in the Fraipont Red Cross Centre for asylum seekers near Liège, Fatoumata is waiting for a decision from the Aliens Office on her application. She has been a resident of the centre for 14 months. Binta is now 3 years old and thanks to her mother, she fled Guinea while the rate of excised women reaches more than 97% in the country.

Liège, Belgium. Mar...e her daughters are in school.

Liège, Belgium. March 15th, 2018. School photo showing Wasira's two daughters. Wasira fled Djibouti several years ago to save her daughters from female genital mutilation. After having been waiting for her asylum application, she is now in good standing and is looking for a job in the Liège region, where her daughters are in school.

Liège, Belgium. Mar... her to develop many projects.

Liège, Belgium. March 15th, 2018. Wasira loves to cook and prepares the meal before her daughters return from school. Wasira found a house for rent on the heights of Liege. Helped by social benefits, she is actively looking for a job because the social assistance provided does not allow her to develop many projects.

Liège, Belgium. Mar...ood there to start a new life.

Liège, Belgium. March 15th, 2018. Wasira comes to pick up her daughters at school. The school is located less than 15 minutes walk from the house they occupy. The area is quiet and well frequented. The family feels good there to start a new life.

Liège, Belgium. Mar...daughters with generous meals.

Liège, Belgium. March 15th, 2018. As soon as they return from school, Wasira's girls have their evening meal. Just before they started their homework. Given the family's low income, Wasira usually eats only once a day to provide her daughters with generous meals.

Liège, Belgium. Mar... hopes to find a job in Liege.

Liège, Belgium. March 15th, 2018. Wasira takes advantage of the fact that her daughters are doing their schoolwork to check job offers on her phone. After completing several training courses, she now hopes to find a job in Liege.

Liège, Belgium. Mar...rs goes down to open the door.

Liège, Belgium. March 15th, 2018. Wasira receives a call on the doorphone of the house where she lives in with her daughters. The couple that shares the house, in shared accommodation, forgot their keys. One of his daughters goes down to open the door.

Liège, Belgium. Mar...essons learned the day before.

Liège, Belgium. March 15th, 2018. Early morning for Wasira and her two daughters. On the way to school, like many families around the world, it is an opportunity to repeat the lessons learned the day before.

Liège, Belgium. Mar...an, ready to start a new life.

Liège, Belgium. March 15th, 2018. While her eldest daughter continues her homework, the youngest one steps in and asks her mother for her attention. Despite Wasira's painful past, she remained a determined and dynamic woman, ready to start a new life.

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Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. July 17th, 2_ecision from the Aliens Office.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. September 17_us of their asylum application.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. July 17th, 2_f the war in former Yugoslavia.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, 2_ Red Cross to receive refugees.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. September 17_ very respected and humane man.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, 2_f the war in former Yugoslavia.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, 2_in a centre for asylum seekers.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. July 17th, 2_other friend of Guinean origin.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. September 10_g but life in a refugee centre.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. July 11th, 2_ing what she's escaped.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. September 10_th the family they left behind.

Thumbnail of Fraipont, Belgium. September 10_s more than 97% in the country.

Thumbnail of Liège, Belgium. Marc_re her daughters are in school.

Thumbnail of Liège, Belgium. Marc_w her to develop many projects.

Thumbnail of Liège, Belgium. Marc_good there to start a new life.

Thumbnail of Liège, Belgium. Marc_ daughters with generous meals.

Thumbnail of Liège, Belgium. Marc_w hopes to find a job in Liege.

Thumbnail of Liège, Belgium. Marc_ers goes down to open the door.

Thumbnail of Liège, Belgium. Marc_lessons learned the day before.

Thumbnail of Liège, Belgium. Marc_man, ready to start a new life.

Public Project

Flee for Her

Copyright Valentin Bianchi 2024

Date of Work Mar 2014 - Ongoing

Updated Jan 2020

Location Liège, Belgium

Topics Children, Documentary, Editorial, Family, Fear, Freedom, Health/Healing, Human Rights, Immigration, Migration, Motherhood, Parenting & Family, Photography, Photojournalism, Violence, Womens Rights

Whether they are already mothers or not, whether they are from Guinea, Somalia or Djibouti, these women have one thing in common, they fled pain. The pain for her but mostly for their daughter. These women are all victims of female genital mutilation, often called female circumcision.
Most of them are awaiting case and applied for asylum in Belgium. Some have passed this stage and trying to rebuild a life.
This reportage, which is still in progress, reflects their time in asylum seekers' centres, but not only. The idea is also to follow one of them in her new life, after having received a positive status from the Aliens Office. To follow her in her intimacy, in her daily life.
The last part will consist of a follow-up of the interventions and medical follow-up provided by Doctor Martin Caillet at the Cemavie Centre of Saint-Pierre Hospital in Brussels. This doctor is in charge of the surgical reconstruction that allows these women victims of so much violence to finally start a new life, this time with full control of their senses.

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Valentin Bianchi

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