Dhaka: When Sona Maher’s family survived a military crackdown in Myanmar, they arrived in Bangladesh, but with nothing but the clothes they were wearing and the images of blood and destruction she is still trying to forget.
The 14-year-old is one of more than 1 million Muslim Rohingya who fled persecution, rape and death at the hands of Myanmar’s military in 2017.
Most of them found safety in neighboring Bangladesh, a southeastern part of which has since become the world’s largest refugee settlement.
Initially settled in illegal camps in Cox’s Bazar, Meher’s family last year joined a group of some 30,000 Rohingya who have been relocated by Bangladeshi authorities to Bhasan Char, a remote island in the Bay of Bengal.
Before and when resettlement began, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and rights groups criticized the project on the grounds of safety and the liveability of Bhasan Char, as it is prone to severe weather and flooding. But it’s also where Maher and the other kids found solace — in the arts.
“I saw atrocities by the Myanmar military in my neighborhood in Rakhine. Houses were burnt down, people were brutally killed around me,” she told Arab News.
“I remember those terrible days and sometimes try to show those events in my paintings. When I see the colors of my paintings, I forget the pain. It gives me hope for a new life, new dreams. Inspires me to do. I want to get rid of those horrible memories. Life is better now.
Maher participated in an art project run by Bangladeshi cartoonist Syed Rashad Imam Tanmay and UNHCR, and art education NGO Artolution, which asked Rohingya children to depict their lives, fears and dreams in a giant wall painting.
It took eight days, 50 participants and long hours of consultation to complete the 50-metre-long mural last month.
“This was not just another pretty picture on the wall. We wanted to offer mental healing through art therapy with community engagement,” Tanmay told Arab News.
“Initially we experienced some reluctance… At this point, we started painting with brushes and colours. Some Rohingya came forward to witness the process.”
Soon, they too began to paint.
A prominent motif appearing in his sketches was a boat.
“Most of the Rohingyas came up with the idea of making boats,” Tanmay said. “They cherish their dreams of returning to their homeland and of a journey towards a better future.”
For those participating in the project, such as 17-year-old Anwar Sadek, expressing themselves through art brought some solace.
He said, “Whenever I hold the painting material, it helps me forget the sufferings I saw earlier in Rakhine.” “Paintings bring me great comfort and joy.”
But both the children and the art teachers know that the comfort will only be temporary as they remain without a place they can call home. And the isolation in Bhasan Chara also adds to their woes.
Roksana Actor, 12, who was involved in the mural project, said, “When I painted the walls with colours, my heart filled with joy… I want to continue painting for the rest of my life.”
“But I have many friends and relatives in Cox’s Bazar. I haven’t seen them for a long time. This is the saddest part of my life at this point.