Struggling to Heal

A savage war is fought by child soldiers conducting crimes against humanity. It sends thousands fleeing to refugee camps in Africa. Headlines and soundbites deliver the essential who, what, when and where to us in a flash. And then the story disappears.

Struggling to Heal, by Aurora photographer Chris Hamilton, begins as the immediate conflict ends. In black and white, this story documents how Sierra Leoneans face the challenge of healing and beginning life again after the war. The victims - amputees and war wounded - do so without limbs - or loved ones - or their sanity. The combatants - ex-child soldiers raised on hatred - face readjusting to civilian life and living with their conscience. The healing process - like black and white film - contains striking contrasts and subtle gradations.

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