Personal Info
- Country of residence: Palestine
Information
The child Sama Al-Shoubaki (5 years old) caught the attention of Palestinians at home and abroad, after they saw her photos on Instagram. Her fame increases day by day, especially since she appears in a different image to the children of Gaza, and she became the first Gazan girl to enter the field of modeling for companies and shops, publishing her pictures on social networking sites.
The child Sama lives in a traditional Gazan family of nine members, but she has been considered special among them since her birth. She has great audacity in appearing in front of people, photographing, and modeling, showing off her blonde hair, which helped her become a fashion model. She succeeded in establishing her position despite the lack of capabilities. In the sector.
Sama loves photography, clothes, colors, and smiling in front of the camera. Sometimes, she feels shy in front of people who stop her to touch her hair, tell her that they follow her on social media, or ask to take pictures with her.
Sama's mother, Azza Abbas (39 years old), accompanies her during photo sessions and during negotiations with shops, companies, and fashion designers. The girl is distinguished by her liveliness, constant smile, and wavy blond hair. Two years ago, she loved choosing the colors of her gown herself.
The mother tells Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed: “Spontaneously, I created an account for my daughter on Instagram bearing her name to publish her spontaneous pictures when she was four years old, and she gained many followers because of the spontaneity of the pictures. From here was her start, after many shops and companies offered us to become A children's fashion model, becoming the first child to enter this field in Gaza.
The number of Sama’s followers on Instagram has reached more than 76 thousand followers. But her mother does not hide that she is being criticized despite being a child, giving a different image to children. Abbas adds: “Some critics say that she is a child and should not appear like this and that I am depriving her of her childhood. Others fear envy, or they say that she acts like a Western child and not an Eastern one, and imitates Western children in advertisements. But in reality, she is getting her rights as a child, and I also I am with her during photo shoots.”
She believes that “the spread of Sama’s pictures on social media as a child from Gaza reflects a beautiful aspect of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip. She is talented and loves photographing advertisements and modeling fashions, knowing that the image of Gazan children in Western and even Arab countries is that they are hungry and their faces are pale.” .
She points out that "many people sent messages on Sama's account expressing their admiration for her appearance, knowing that she is not the only girl in the Gaza Strip who has talent. Many children in Gaza have talent, and not all of them are hungry or in need. There are positive aspects in Gaza, far from what the media shows." ", especially foreign ones."
On the other hand, Iman Abu Tahoun, a psychological and educational therapist specializing in children, says that institutions concerned with human rights have identified the use of children in commercial advertisements far from scenes of violence, adult products, tobacco, etc. She believes that the case of Sama Al-Shobaki as the first model in Gaza is rare in a society whose local economy is witnessing great weakness and a lack of fashion production.
She points out that three years ago, Save the Children warned of the danger of the increased use of children in fashion advertisements, after noticing their frequent presence in fashion shows with international companies. She pointed out her objection to local charities because of their use of children in donation and support campaigns.
She added to Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed: “From my point of view, children can be employed in advertisements, taking into account their childhood, and on the condition that they are not belittled or belittled. Despite this, I find fashion modeling undesirable, because it can affect the child negatively. It may lead to her becoming withdrawn during adolescence.” She continues: “For a child to get used to fashion and appearing in front of the camera in a besieged society in which there are no proper living and entertainment elements for children may be a negative thing.”
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