Two years ago, she fled from the war in her home country. Together with her mother, father, and three older siblings, Hasrat packed her things and they left their home in the Syrian town of Aleppo.
The family fled from Syria via Lebanon and Turkey, before finally arriving at the Greek island of Chios in March this year. They have been staying there since then.
In Chios, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is collaborating with Greek authorities, volunteers and other organisations to give refugees protection and help them get an education, water, food and shelter.
Life in Syria
Hasrat and her family had a good life in Syria.
“We had everything we needed. We lived in a nice apartment right next to a park, and all the children went to school,” says Hasrat's father, Mohammed (43).
“I have met refugees from Iraq, but I had never thought that my family would experience the same,” he says.
Had to flee
When the war broke out, life changed radically. Aleppo was left in ruins by bombings, and the family had to make a decision.
“We had to run, if not we would all have been killed,” says Mohammed.
On the border between Syria and Turkey, Hasrat got stuck on a barbed wire fence. She could hear gunshots from armed forces close by.
“I was very scared. My father had to help me get loose,” she says.
Bullied in school
The family arrived in Turkey, and Hasrat started school, but she didn't like it there.
“No one would play with me. They hit me and threw water at me, and no one wanted to sit next to me because I was from Syria,” she says.
The conditions in which the family was living while in Turkey were so poor that they could not stay. Mohammed had to make the most difficult decision of his life.
Crossing the Mediterranean Sea
The family embarked on the dangerous voyage from Turkey to the Greek island of Chios. Hasrat was so afraid during the journey that she clung to her father the entire time.
“It was pitch-dark,” says Hasrat.
The weather worsened – rain started falling and the waves were enormous. Hasrat was terrified. "Maybe the sea will swallow us," she thought.
According to the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over 4,500 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean thus far this year. Hasrat and her family are amongst the lucky ones who reached Greece and Europe alive.
Losing hope
Mohammed is losing hope. His family has been in Chios for eight months now, but he says it feels like years have passed. He still hopes his children will have a good future.
“For my own sake, I don't need human rights, but I want my children to have a dignified and good childhood,” he says.
Mohammed has no gifts or toys to give his children. He is especially frustrated around birthdays and other such occasions.
“I wish I could give my children what they need,” says Mohammed.
He dreams of going back to Syria.
“I have amazing memories from my home country,” he says.
“Everyone who flees from Syria, flee because they have no other choice. If they stay, they are risking their lives.”
