No one knows the heart of an immigrant but the immigrant himself.
In pursuit of happiness and a better future, many have found refuge in Oman through the years. It’s easy to say that they are all the same - same look, same persuasion, same zeal. That’s until you meet Roni, an inhabitant of Muttrah, Muscat’s oldest and most famous commercial districts.
Sweeping around a beautiful seafront corniche, Muttrah is where all the tourists come; this is where all the big sales happen. Seafront restaurants, open air shops and attractions all around you, yet just a few tiny streets up from the sea and all the entertainment, you find living quarters shared by local Omanis and migrant workers like Roni.
We talk a lot about his hometown, his life in Oman and his future. Then came time to take his photo. We ask Roni to think of his family. A wave of sadness and contemplation comes upon him. A moment right after the photo is taken, he excuses himself and leaves, and yet a lingering grief remains in the air.
It’s not easy to know the stories of people we meet. No matter how comfortable it is living in Oman or perhaps economically stable, there is still that part to migrants that nothing can quite replace or quench - a love for their country and the desire to see the loved ones they leave behind.
