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SAVE THE CHILDREN’S

Listen to Syrian children’s stories

While the conflict in Syria passes 3 years away, children lives has been changing in a dramatic way.

ANTAKYA, Turkey – While the conflict in Syria passes 3 years away, children lives has been changing in a dramatic way. Since the day conflict started, 5,5 million children affected, more than 10.000 children have been killed, around 8.000 children have crossed borders without any relatives and fled to other countries in the region.

Turkey is one of the host country which welcomes more than 900.000 Syrian people, half of this amount are children.
 Now, let’s listen their stories from them.

Safi: “I’m not afraid of airplanes, I’m afraid of wild animals

“I’m from Latakia. I’m nine years old. I’m a second grade student. My favorite subject at school is spelling. I want to be a doctor when I grow up. When I wake up in the morning, I wash my hands and face first, and then I brush my hair. I go to school at 8 o’clock and I do my homework in the afternoon. Later, I play games in the big park and in the evening I have dinner. I like football — I’m a fan of FC Barcelona. I have two sisters and a brother, but I’m the eldest.

My school in Syria closed because of the war. An airplane dropped a barrel bomb on our school. The poorest people ran away after the bomb, which shattered all the windows in our house. I was hurt when they dropped another bomb. I got shrapnel fragments in my face and back. Someone from our village was going to take me to the hospital, but we couldn’t go because it was too far away from Latakia and it would take a lot of time. I still have some shrapnel in my back, but I wasn’t afraid at those moments at all. I didn’t feel anything. 

I’m not afraid of airplanes. I am afraid of bears, dogs and wild animals. Syria is more beautiful than here. I miss our house the most. I miss everything there. I want to save people from oppression. I want to become a doctor and I want to help people who are affected by the war and to save their lives. My third wish is to help thieves to persuade them not to steal. I have a friend. I love him so much, but I can’t remember his name. Some of my friends are frightened of me because of the scar on my face. They don’t want to play with me.”According to his teacher, he will have another operation in 20 days with the help of Kuwaiti benefactors. 

Mohammed: “I am happy, because there aren’t any airplanes here”

Mohammed is just six years old. He came to Turkey from a village near Aleppo almost a month ago. He lives with his mother and four siblings in a room in Antakya.

His father stayed in Syria after he was hit in the head by shrapnel. As a result, he has difficulty with his memory. Mohammed hasn’t gone to school yet; neither in Syria nor in Turkey. According to his mother, the war has affected him the most among her children. He wrings his hands tightly and prefers to keep quietly to himself. His biggest fear is airplanes. “I am happy, because there aren’t any airplanes here. I’m not scared when I go to bed now. I miss my dad the most in Syria. I want to become a doctor in the future.”

Büşra: “I miss our house and my clothes the most. And my friends…”

Büşra is also siblings and her uncle’s family. Büşra is the oldest of all the children in her family, but just like the others, she has never gone to school. “We usually go to the park with my brothers and sisters and play games from Aleppo. She is nine years old.

After a challenging journey that left her waiting for four days to cross the border, she arrived in Turkey one month ago. She lives in a single room in Antakya with her mother, father, seven together.

I want to become a nurse when I grow up. I miss our house, my things and my clothes the most. And my friends…”