Documenting UNICEF Since 2017
By Miléquêm Diarassouba | Photojournalist Côte d'Ivoire
A girl attending classes at an Islamic school in Abobo, Abidjan, on June 29, 2020, wearing a mask due to COVID-19, photographed by Miléquêm Diarassouba, Photojournalist West Africa.
Since 2017, I have worked with UNICEF Côte d’Ivoire to document the people, communities, and programs at the heart of its mission.
Over the years, this work has taken me across Côte d’Ivoire, from urban neighborhoods to remote communities, documenting stories related to health, education, child protection, nutrition, resilience, and social change. I have worked alongside children, families, health workers, teachers, community leaders, and UNICEF teams to translate complex programs into human stories that can be understood, felt, and remembered.
Through photojournalism, filmmaking, and visual storytelling, my role has been to create images and narratives that serve both communication and advocacy while preserving the dignity, individuality, and reality of the people represented.
Many of these photographs and films have been shared by UNICEF Côte d’Ivoire and UNICEF Headquarters, with selected work also appearing in international media including BBC and Forbes.
This long-term collaboration has shaped my understanding of impact communication and strengthened a conviction that continues to guide my work today: the most effective visual stories are those that connect institutional missions with the real lives, voices, and experiences of the people they are meant to serve.
