Photojournalism: Rohingya: "I'm Better Than Before, But Inside My Heart Lies So Much Pain": ROHWOM_ASJ_09

20 year old Swahila is the leader of the widows camp. She says that one day the military attacked her village, burned all the houses, slit the throats of young boys, threw young children and babies onto fires and took away the beautiful girls. When the brothers of the girls protested, their necks were slit. It took her 10 days to walk to Bangladesh. She says that she feels happy she has the opportunity to take care of and be responsible for the other women. {quote}Here, we all share together, we're all friends.{quote} She was married at the age of 14 and 4 years ago her husband got on a boat and made the journey to Malaysia seeking a better life. Two weeks ago she arranged for a broker to take her from the camps to Malaysia. When she was gathered with the broker and about 10 other women about to get on the boat, the Bangladesh Navy suddenly swooped in. The broker took the opportunity to rob her of 30,000 taka and her cell phone. Her husband has been waiting for her and she is desperate to start a new life with him. She encourages him to re-marry but he says he loves her and wants to wait for her. In the refugee settlement of Balukhali, over 116 widows, orphans, and women who have been separated from their husbands have found shelter within a dense settlement of 50 red tents where no men or boys over the age of 10 years old are allowed.

20 year old Swahila is the leader of the widows camp. She says that one day the military attacked her village, burned all the houses, slit the throats of young boys, threw young children and babies onto fires and took away the beautiful girls. When the brothers of the girls protested, their necks were slit. It took her 10 days to walk to Bangladesh. She says that she feels happy she has the opportunity to take care of and be responsible for the other women. "Here, we all share together, we're all friends." She was married at the age of 14 and 4 years ago her husband got on a boat and made the journey to Malaysia seeking a better life. Two weeks ago she arranged for a broker to take her from the camps to Malaysia. When she was gathered with the broker and about 10 other women about to get on the boat, the Bangladesh Navy suddenly swooped in. The broker took the opportunity to rob her of 30,000 taka and her cell phone. Her husband has been waiting for her and she is desperate to start a new life with him. She encourages him to re-marry but he says he loves her and wants to wait for her. In the refugee settlement of Balukhali, over 116 widows, orphans, and women who have been separated from their husbands have found shelter within a dense settlement of 50 red tents where no men or boys over the age of 10 years old are allowed.