Qassem was captured on a photo called "Desire for Life" by photographer Taisir Mahdi, which won the top prize in the contest's Sports category. The picture shows Qassem, who lost his leg in a terrorist attack, playing football with his friends.
The boy visited Moscow in May and was examined at the Moscow Institute of Emergency Children's Surgery and Traumatology, which developed a treatment plan for the boy.
The treatment plan will be carried out by the Russian bureau of prosthetics company Ottobock. The treatment costs are fully covered by the Russian Spartak Moscow football club's charity foundation for children. The Central Muslim Spiritual Board of Russia and the Muslim community of the town of Krasnogorsk will cover Qadim’s living costs.
In Moscow, the boy will meet people with whom he has already made close friendships, including Spartak players and performers from the Great Moscow State Circus. He will also attend a performance at the Moskvarium science and entertainment center of sea wildlife, and watch a movie called "Flight over Moscow" at Zaryadye Park.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, famous Russian pediatrician Leonid Roshal and academic Amiran Revishvili have also supported Qadim so that he can receive treatment in Moscow.
The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest was launched by Rossiya Segodnya under the aegis of the Russian Commission for UNESCO. Its main goal is to support young photographers, aged between 18 and 33, and draw public attention to the challenges of modern photojournalism. This contest is a platform for talented, empathetic and open-minded photographers.
