TEHRAN (Dispatches)-Iranian photographer Kiarash Eghbali-Seresht has won the "Award of Recognition” of the Second Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Student Photo Contest organized by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Tokyo and Sophia University in Japan.
Kiarash Eghbali-Seresht, 23-year old Iranian photographer, student of economics at University of Tehran won the competition among more than 1,000 entries from 73 countries sent to the organizers.
As a photographer, he said that he always knew that the photo can tell more than 1000 words and each good photo has a message. And the background stories of the people, who are featured in the winning photos, are even more amazing than these professionally taken photos.
Kiarash said: "Being currently an intern at UNIC Tehran has helped me not only to understand what UN does in Iran, and feel a part of it, but feel empowered that I can make positive change, even with my camera.”
He also explained about the background story of his photo of the old lady living on a street and said: "Affording medical expenses have been a great concern across the globe, not only in Iran. The elderly are much more vulnerable to different diseases and not always can afford to pay their medical bills. The pictured old lady with broken legs has been living outside Shariati Hospital in Tehran for two months, collecting money for hospitalization to have an operation on her legs.”
"The pain and anxiety in her eyes were such powerful message and influenced not just me, but also my friends, and we helped her collect money and she has undergone operation. It shows that sometimes just a photo can make a real difference,” he proudly added.
The award ceremony will take place in Tokyo on the United Nations Day on Tuesday, 24 October.