San Fernando Through the Eyes of Children: UNICEF's Safe Cities Initiative
๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ฉ๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ, ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐จ ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐
When 15-year-old Israel moved from Cuba to Trinidad and Tobago in 2022, he never imagined photography would help him see his new home differently.
โI didnโt really know what we were going to do, but then when I came, it was very, very fun,โ he said. โI think itโs very important to have these child-friendly spaces because children can learn different things to help them in the future.โ
Chosen by his peers as the best photographer in UNICEFโs Cities in the Eyes of Children initiative, Israel discovered more than a skill. Through his lens, he shared both pride and concern: a broken flag, bustling markets, and images that reflected how children experience city life.
โThis is a great country, but they donโt know what they have,โ he explained. โThey should do the right things before itโs too late.โ
Looking at cities through childrenโs eyes
Israel was one of 15 young people from San Fernando who took part in the project, which provides children with the tools to document their realities and influence urban planning.
Trinidad and Tobago is a high-income country, but children in urban areas face real risks. Rising violence, unsafe streets, lack of play spaces and pollution near schools all affect their wellbeing. National data shows nearly 70% of children experience violent discipline methods.
Against this backdrop, the children first explored their rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They then trained with international photographer Giacomo Pirozzi, who has run similar workshops in more than 60 countries.
โChildrenโs photographs are much more powerful than our own,โ said Pirozzi. โThey know exactly their reality. Itโs their lives they are talking about โ and that makes it much more powerful.โ
Children speaking for themselves
The images captured told stories of garbage disposal, homelessness and pollution, alongside hopes for safer communities.
โWe were also introduced to childrenโs rights, how we see the world and the fact that we donโt have to stay quiet,โ said Hosea, 15. โWe can make suggestions to make the city more child-friendly, where people can walk around safe and secure without danger.โ
For UNICEF, creating space for such voices is essential. โChildren live in the reality of the city,โ said Maryam Abdu, UNICEFโs Chief of Social Policy in the Eastern Caribbean. โItโs not about us speaking on their behalf. Itโs about them speaking up โ and usually, it is a very powerful tool.โ
From photos to policies
The childrenโs work will culminate in a public exhibition and policy dialogue in San Fernando, bringing their images and commentaries to city leaders and decision-makers. The aim is to turn childrenโs perspectives into concrete recommendations for safer, more inclusive, child-friendly cities.
For Israel, Hosea and their peers, the project is proof that their voices matter. By turning cameras on their communities, they are holding up a mirror that cannot be ignored. Because no one sees a city more clearly than the children who call it home.
Story Authored by Kareem Smith, Senior Communications Associate at UNICEF Eastern Caribbean