Photo exhibition showcases the life of social worker Sheeba Ameer

Sheeba Ameer in a photo displayed at the exhibition
| Photo Credit: G Harikrishnan

Sheeba Ameer says she loves dressing up. So when photographer G Harikrishnan asked her to tone down on her accessories for the photographs he was taking of hers, Sheeba felt a little unsure. “In some of the photos, you will see that I have not even combed my hair,” laughs Sheeba. 

An exhibition of these photographs ‘Wings of Desire’ is on at the Durbar Hall Art Centre. In black and white and colour, the images chronicle Sheeba’s extraordinary life with a touch of whimsy. 

But who is Sheeba Ameer?

The founder of Solace, a voluntary organisation that supports children with long-term illnesses and their families, Sheeba is at the forefront of a campaign that vouches for curative and palliative care for children.

Sheeba says life turned upside down when her daughter Niloufa was diagnosed with cancer. She spent 16 years taking care of her, oscillating between moments of utter despair, helplessness and fear. It was also when she started seeing life differently.  “We were able to provide Nilu the best treatment and facilities; but what about children whose families could not afford it?” She began helping other children with long-term illnesses and their families in small ways she could. “Nilu and my son Nikhil encouraged me to continue my efforts and that led to the formation of Solace in 2007,” says Sheeba. From a homemaker, with two children, who knew “nothing about the outside world”, she grew to become a mother-figure for many.  

Niloufa passed away in 2013 and this strengthened Sheeba’s resolve to help others going through the same kind of pain she did. “I learnt that death is a certainty, but we can definitely help improve the quality of the children’s lives for as long as they are alive,” Sheeba says.

Talking about Niloufa still brings tears to her eyes, “but it is this pain that drives me forward and strengthens me,” she adds. 

Solace, which started functioning as a small unit next to the leukemia ward of the Government Medical College in Thrissur, today has 5,600 children under its care. Registered as a charitable trust, Solace has three branches in Kerala and chapters in six states in the US. 

In her journey with Solace, Sheeba won awards for her outstanding work, including the Vanita Ratna (2011) instituted by the social justice department of the Government of Kerala and the Ramankutty Achan Award (2008).

Between all her work commitments, Sheeba finds the time to nurture her literary interests too. She has authored books, which include poetry, literature and her own experiences working in palliative care.

The exhibition, curated by the photographer Harikrishnan himself, is the result of four years of his interactions with Sheeba. While it showcases her personality as a compassionate social worker, it also captures her as a writer and dreamer. Some of the frames have a Sufi-esque quality to them, where Sheeba is portrayed as an ethereal being. 

The show is on till June 1 at Durbar Hall Art Centre.