International Day of Families | May 15, 2021

Rihan and her family are from Kurdistan. They were forced to flee their country, as their lives were in danger. In August 2018, she arrived in Greece with her children, walking through Evros, after several days of hardship and difficulties.

Now, they are living in the Open Accommodation structure of Serres, where they feel safe and secure, as she states. They can live and express themselves freely, they are safe and optimistic about the future. Additionally, they are happy living with other compatriots of their because this condition provides them with a sense of security as a homelike and friendly environment can do. Thus, they can share daily experiences, support each other, preserve their cultural traditions and customs, keeping this way their country close at heart.

In our question of what the word “family” means to her, she replies: “Family is security and love; it is the dreams you make with your children and husband”. She adds however that her own family is separated, as two out of her eight children are in Germany, while her husband continues living in Iraq. Consequently, her dream for the future, is the reunion of her family: “Family means to be together and united”. She is optimistic that her dream will soon come true, “My family’s happiness is the actual notion of happiness”, she adds. She would sacrifice everything, that is, for the family she has created, in order to be able and see her whole family back together. The sole thought that at some point her dream will come true, gives her strength and energy to continue and think that everything will be fine at the end. Rihan is the one who supports her family, being a continuous source of energy. She has created a warm and welcoming home for everyone.

She wishes to see soon her children who live in Germany, and she wants them to be able to study. She strongly believes that when a family is united anything is possible.

*SolidarityNow’s “Child & Family Support Hubs” (CFSH) program is supported by UNICEF Greece and IOM Greece with funding by the European Union.