Meet Hamza Ayari, the Tunisian lemon vendor with a knack for photography

Meet Hamza Ayari the vendor in Tunis’ central market with a knack for photography. The self-taught photographer immortalizes the smiles of customers – both young and old – who buy lemons from his stall.

I spent most of my childhood in this market – at a family business. I was unable to finish my studies so I learned to sell lemons here. At the same time, I loved drawing and photography. The day I got my camera, that’s when the hunger for photography came in,” says Ayari

The ambitious 25-year-old is proud of his achievements. His passion has opened him to the lives of many Tunisians and foreigners who visit the market daily.

“Every day I have something new and meet new people, as if I were living a daily life that passes quickly. I stay on the lookout for everything that happens and meet Tunisian and foreigners. I hear a lot of stories and discussions about the whole world and different races. I am very happy to know all categories of society. I talk to rich and poor people in the same way,” he says.

Tunisia is going through tough socio-economic times prompting sporadic strikes especially by young people due to unemployment.

But Hamza is hopeful that the future will be prosperous; he urges every Tunisian youth to find something beneficial and work towards the country’s future.