FMT in partnership with The Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT) brings you a Covid-19 “healer” from Libya.
Kamal Muhammad Ismail, aged 60, is the director of the Ibn Khaldun Institute for Comprehensive Professions in Benghazi.
He supervises Saeed Al-Qatani, aged 42, who manufactures protective gear and distributes them to hospitals and public facilities, even in the midst of civil war.
The Institute is located near a conflict zone, and was exposed to heavy shelling. Despite that, the Institute pulled together fabric scraps and sewing equipment to sew masks to cover the country’s shortage, especially now, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kamal said the materials they work with now were from the Institute’s stores. They are unsure of the future once inventory runs out. He noted that “we face many shortages, including power cuts, as work stops because we do not have enough money to buy a generator.”
Essam Al-Fitouri, 46, was born in Benghazi, Libya. He holds an architectural engineering diploma, and has been involved in photography for more than 20 years. Since 2010, he has been working as a freelance photojournalist for Reuters. He is particularly interested in photographs that capture stories. View his portfolio here.
‘The Other Hundred Healers’ is an initiative by the non-profit organisation GIFT. The 240-page, full-colour, hardcover book can be purchased here at US$40 per copy for a minimum order of 20 copies.
