Meet the girls of South Sudan fighting for an education

Above : Sara Hylton: Girls Education in South Sudan

Sara Hylton has always been a dreamer. As a young girl in Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan in Canada, it was her greatest trait. It became a way for her to believe that there was something more for her out there in the world, and in time, the award-winning photographer would certainly realise this. As a graduate from the International Centre of Photography and Kings College London’s master’s degree in International Conflict Studies, the south Asia-based photographer turned her attention to issues of gender, vulnerable communities and indigenous peoples, shedding light on the subjects through powerful medium format photography.

Having worked for the likes of National Geographic, The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times Magazine just to name a few, the travelling photographer has also exhibited internationally in both solo and group shows, positioning poignant issues in the public domain. “The tool of photography came to me later in my 20s, but I’ve been a witness my whole life. It’s just who I am,” she tells It’s Nice That. “The camera comes and goes and will always be my tool, but the crux of my work is really about being able to see someone as they are, hold space, and listen.”

Growing up with parents in academia and involved in advocacy, since she was a child, Sara has been exposed to a multitude of cultural experiences and travel. It’s gone on to inform not only her career but also her individual identity, and coupled with her degree in gender and conflict, Sara “always looks through that lens” to tell stories sensitively. She’s won numerous grants and awards for her journalistic endeavours, most recently for her work on missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada in 2018. Now, however, Sara documents displaced girls in South Sudan seeking an education in a volatile country.