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Award-winning photojournalist Jonathan Torgovnik from Verbatim, the recently launched commercial assignments agency, teamed up with Weber Shandwick London to create a series of compelling short films and photo features for the launch of UNICEF’s There Is Hope global testimonial campaign, part of the humanitarian organisation’s 70th anniversary celebrations.

The campaign was spearheaded by the renowned photographer and filmmaker Jonathan Torgovnik, and features still photography and video testimonials of children and adults from across the world who have benefitted from the essential services and support UNICEF provides. Jonathan’s work was supplemented by local photographer Insiya Syed for a shoot in Pakistan, under his direction.

The interviews were shot on consecutive trips out on location in 2016 with UNICEF beneficiaries from El Salvador, Pakistan, Greece, Macedonia, Sierra Leone and Namibia.

The videos are available on a specially created campaign microsite and featured on Youtube

Jonathan commented: “I was fortunate to collaborate with UNICEF on this campaign for their 70th anniversary and during this project I met and photographed some remarkable individuals. Today they are adults who have survived and thrived because of the support they received from UNICEF when they were in dire need.
We travelled to five countries around the world, but there are two encounters that were especially powerful for me. We met with Juan Carlos, in El Salvador, who when he was just six years old stepped on a land mine and lost both his hand and legs. With UNICEF’s support he was able to continue his studies and today, is a lawyer and running for mayor in his town. While photographing him, I felt the relentless energy he has to overcome his disability.
In Slovania, I photographed Hiba, a young refugee girl from Syria who was in a camp with her family awaiting entry permits to any European country that will agree to have them. Sitting and listening to her story of living through war, losing a brother, and spending months walking and overcoming many hardships to get to the camp was quite remarkable. UNICEF has been supporting children in these holding camps, providing them with schooling, and fun activities they deserve to have. When photographing Hiba, she projected hope and optimism, which amazed me after all she had experienced in her nine years of life.”