For years, renowned photojournalist Reza Deghati observed refugees, capturing moments on his camera that told a story about displaced people.

But when he placed the camera in the refugees’ hands, they provided a glimpse into their life that photojournalists could never capture.

This gesture provided renewed hope to refugee children, with some of their work being published on National Geographic blogs and recognised internationally.

One of his students, Massoud Hossaini went on to become a 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner.

Another student, 11-year-old Ali Morad, captured his own portrait in a broken mirror and won an award in the US while he was still a refugee in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Mr Deghati has been working on empowering people in vulnerable situations since 1983, by providing access to educational opportunities in the field of communications and multimedia.

Recognised as a National Geographic Fellow, he is now in Malta to launch the exhibition Exile Voices at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, and will be giving an interactive seminar on Saturday, in collaboration with Darrin Zammit Lupi and Charles Mifsud.

People in camps needed more than someone taking their pictures to illustrate their plight

In comments to Times of Malta Mr Deghati said that along the years, he realised that people in camps needed more than someone taking their pictures to illustrate their plight.

While basic needs such as food and medicine are already being provided by NGOs, children were missing access to education. So he started to train refugees - mainly women and children - with the main, 21st century tool that is connecting people: the camera.

Mr Deghati has trained children in camps Uganda and poor neighbourhoods in Italy, France and Argentina among others. He is currently training children in three camps in Kurdistan, displaced children in Mali and a group of youths in Buenos Aires.

The humanitarian’s visit to Malta coincided with the arrival of 234 people who were rescued off Libya after being stranded at sea for six days.

Asked about the role of photography within the migration context, Mr Deghati said: “Humans are afraid of the unknown. Photography has the capacity to explain the unknown by showing you what ‘other people’ look like. Getting a glimpse of ‘other people’ is the first step at understanding them.”

The exhibition, which includes photos by Mr Deghati, refugee children from the Reza Visual Academy, and the two Maltese journalists, is being held in collaboration with the Valletta 2018 foundation, Festivals Malta, the Malta International Arts Festival and the Reza Visual Academy.

It will remain open until July 15 between 9am and 4.30pm.

Those interested in the seminar, which is being held at the Aula Magna, Old University Building in Valletta at 9.30am, need to send an e-mail on martin.j.gauci@festivalsmalta.org