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The killer of the soul
Nadia Sonneveld
Nadia Sonneveld

The killer of the soul

I initially set out to interview her about her experiences with death on the way to Morocco. However, the conversation evolved into a powerful narrative about migration and sexual violence—another form of dying. it profoundly effected me.

In November 2021 I had an online meeting with a young woman from a country in sub-Saharan Africa. She had recently arrived in Morocco, after a journey of a few weeks through the Sahara Desert. Her aim was to be reunited with her husband who, from the same country as her, had been living in Morocco for a few years already. The second aim was to earn money for her family. She was prepared to take the risky journey through the scorching expanse of the desert. But her story was not only about the permanent cessation of bodily functions; it also delved into a different form of demise, one in which the soul is being killed.

Please listen to the video I made shortly after our meeting.