This photographic essay focuses on the everyday life of the Western Sahara people who fled in exile to Algeria after the Moroccan occupation of their country in 1975. After forty-five years in exile, nearly 200,000 refugees were struggling to survive in that inhospitable part of the Great Desert. The ongoing conflict between Morocco and Western Sahara started in 1975 when Spain finished his sovereignty in the Western Sahara.
The task of creating a new life in exile fell to women as men are defending the liberated zones in Western Sahara. The family is reunited once every two months when the men return to the camps for a twenty days break. Women have formed organized camps structures for health systems, education and also play an important role in the political process. In addition, they have to raise the family with an average between four to six children at the age of thirty-five.
The families displaced to Algeria face the extreme environmental conditions with temperatures passing fifty degrees in summer time and frequent sand storms. The lack of food, medicines and water made them to rely on international humanitarian aid. New generations born in exile have the opportunity to study abroad as education is very important for the Saharawi people.
The programmes funded by countries as Libya, Cuba or Algeria allows children to study a degree but they return to the camps after finish their studies. However, young generations are struggling by limited possibilities and difficult living conditions in the camps. The elder generations are aching to return to the beauty of their lands and their strength remains in the determination of people who have not given up hope to being reunited with their families again.