The story of Zozan


Ζozan came to Greece from Syria in February 2016 and now she lives in one of the SolidarityNow accommodation structures. She is in Greece with her four children as a refugee and asylum-seeker.

She was teaching fashion design for the last eight years of being in Syria and she loved her job. She and her husband bought a house for their family, however they were obliged to abandon it, as well as their town, when bombs destroyed it; they went back to their village and live with her parents-in-law for a year. That year’s everyday life was very difficult for Ζozan since it deprived of her independence. The numerous family problems led the couple to the decision to leave for Turkey in 2012, where they remained for three months. But Ζozan returned to Syria; she could not accept the fact that her children could not go to school in Turkey. She rented a house alone to live with her children. “I said I will fight“, Ζozan admits. After about five months, her husband returned to Syria to find her, whereas he left again in 2015 for Turkey and from there to Italy.

By the time, when the village came in the sights of the war, she took the brave decision and left Syria with her children. Her life was becoming unbearable. Every time she was leaving without her children, to secure a wage to finally leave the country, she didn’t know whether to return. Ζozan didn’t accept to live with other, parents and relatives; she wanted and still wants a free life. “It was very cold, I remember that“, on January 10th, 2016 when she left with her children to Turkey. She was afraid; she was illegal. Three times she tried to cross the borders of Turkey within the same day. The third time she was caught, threatened with a gun; “kill me, I will never go back to Syria“; but she went; she was forced to.

By paying the Turkish policemen, she passed the borders of Turkey and arrived in Istanbul. Four times she tried to cross the borders of Greece by sea. The boat sank. Four times she returned to Turkey, which meant four imprisonments; every one of them meant at least 15 or 16 hours in a detention cell.

Finally, she arrived on the island of Chios by boat and from there to Idomeni, where she stayed for four months. During this time, she tried twice to pass the border with Skopia; She and her children spent days and nights walking in the mountains. They turned them back. When Idomeni closed, they were transferred to the camp of Kalohori. Ζozan became nervous with her children, she tried to commit suicide; she started walking every day to forget.

A friend of Ζozan from Ireland, made her a gift; the equipment to start painting. She did. At nights, at one until seven in the morning, she was painting; she was too afraid to sleep; she was afraid for her children. After seven o’clock in the morning, when everybody was awake she was sleeping; she was not that much afraid for her kids as she was during the night.

Ζozan’s life changed when she, and her children, moved to the SolidarityNow accommodation structure; she felt safe again. During the day, she goes her children to school, returns home, cooking and painting. She loves to participate in activities, learn new things and she wants to see her children grow up and progress in a safe environment.

 

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