You do not exactly call them a typical family.

Among them lives the 8-year-old Superman, two twin boys of 1,5 years old, a beautiful girl in her six, a so-serious 13-year-old teenager, a reserved 10-year-old girl, and of course their parents, for a not to be taken lightly family sum of 8!

Head of the family, the invulnerable mother Cherie.

Cherie, Syrian of Kurdish origin – whose name in Syria means “something beautiful” – is 36 years old, mother of six, talks loud and describes poverty, births, nights in the mountains, cold, with a smile that almost forbids you to regret or be sorry for her.

“The twin brothers who hosted us in Thessaloniki, when they saw Hassan and Hussein, my twin boys, welcomed us as if they knew us for years and a few days later we were all crying together because we had to leave for Athens!”

This is how Cherie begins to tell the family’s story, since “at first”, as she notes, “I want to say how well the Greek people we met have treated us“.

The story of the family for Asmael has as its beginning, his wife, Cherie.

– She didn’t know we would get married. She was asking me when we bumped into each other in the neighborhood “When is your marriage? When are going to celebrate?”. Then she found out, from my friend, and brother of her, that I wanted her; and she wanted me too.

– I wasn’t aware of me wanting to marry you, I just thought … I like you!

– We were not in love when we got married. But now we love each other so much!

Cherie agrees with Asmael. “Nothing makes sense without him. He is everything.“; and it seems their optimism derives from love –from their love and then the love for their children. “When we arrived in Chios, I prayed to God; it was enough that we were all together.”. The whole family thinks of the future. Shortly, they will be relocated to France. Until then, they are hosted in the SolidarityNow housing and accommodation structure in Peania, Attica.

They know how it is to be on the move; Syria – Kurdistan – Iraq – Turkey – Greece. They had to save themselves and their children many times from cold, hunger, smugglers, violence. In Greece, they thought their dreams would come true on their arrival to Edomeni. However, the continuity is known. The borders closed, Edomeni was evacuated and their moving began within the country: E1 gateway to Piraeus, Ioannina, Vasilika, Thessaloniki, Athens. In Thessaloniki for a very short time, they have been happy to be accommodated in a house that has opened for them their beloved twin siblings.

More hugs awaited in Athens for the 8-member family. Upon their arrival, they stayed in the accommodation structure of the organization in Peania – it is probably the most cheerful apartment of the structure! Asmael and Cherie are confident they will make it in their new country, while her looks forward for the children to go to school: “I want my girls and boys to go to school. In my family, I was equal to the boys – we were free to decide what we want to do.“.

Something “cherie” will always accompany this family’s life, something sweet and beautiful – just like them!

*The Hosting Scheme Project is implemented by SolidarityNow with the support of UNHCR GREECE and EU funding.