Amitié (Friendship)

Marrio Jones Ikirezi, Cameroon

In my photo essay called “Amitié” (Friendship) I seek to capture the silent strength and security that comes from human relationships, particularly through friendship. 

Through this image, I want to show how friendship can become a refuge, a safe place in the midst of hardship.The contrast between the shadows of the hands and the sky in the background reinforces the idea of light and hope that can emerge even in the dark.

Having personally gone through times marred by violence and insecurity, friendship has played a fundamental role in my healing and sense of resilience. I lost my father to violence in 2014, and in 2021 I survived a kidnapping and a traumatic sexual assault. These experiences left me with a deep sense of insecurity, a constant fear that accompanied me every day making it difficult to trust the world around me. 

Photography came into my life in 2022 like a light in a period of darkness. It became not only a means of expression, but also a path to healing, a safe space where I could express my emotions without fear. Friendship was also a beacon, a source of comfort at times when I was falling apart. I found in my friends a silent strength and warmth that enabled me to rebuild parts of myself. 

The image of hands making a heart represents this precious bond, this capacity of friendship to create a space where we feel accepted and safe. These intertwined hands symbolise the unconditional support that kept me standing when everything seemed to be falling apart.

“Amitié” is a celebration of the resilience found in human relationships; An invitation to recognize that strength sometimes comes from simply knowing that you’re never alone in the face of adversity. Friendship has given me an inner strength I no longer thought I possessed. Through “Amitié”, I hope to inspire others to seek out and cherish those bonds that sustain us and turn our darkness into light.

Marrio Jones Ikirezi is a 22-year-old photographer based in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Born to Rwandan refugees who fled the 1994 genocide, she has faced violence and insecurity throughout her life. In 2014, she lost her father to violence, and in 2021, she survived a traumatic kidnapping and sexual assault. These experiences left her feeling constantly unsafe until she discovered photography in 2022, which became her lifeline and coping mechanism.

She is pursuing a Diploma of Access to University Studies with the University of Evry, aiming to study photojournalism. She is also a student of the Lens On Life project, where she has been studying photography since 2022 in collaboration with Bright, a refugee-led organisation based in Yaoundé, Cameroon. She joined the Safe Photography project to help provide voice for the silenced. Her goal is to inspire global action against the cruel treatment endured daily by women and girls, using her lens to drive change.