Redwan Adalat - Humans of Kurdistan

in Humans of East

“Ever since I was a child, I had the desire to write. I was an active kid and I always wanted to read and write. Unfortunately, at the time no one supported me. Once I was retired, my dear sister and close friend (Maryam Qazi) who has passed away invited me to dinner one day. We started to talk about reading and writing literature. She told me that I was a sensitive person, and because I don't teach anymore that I should start writing what I feel. Maryam was my biggest supporter; she brightened my heart. I started to write poems for children at the age of forty seven. Same as any other woman in my community, I have seen a lot of downfalls, and that is why I haven't been able to turn my writings into a book. However, some of my writings have been published in some of the magazines from east and south of Kurdistan.” ...

Sep 08 2020

September 8, 2020

“I was born in Rojava, it is almost 6 years since I decided to leave Rojava and come to Slemani. I left my mother and siblings there, I think of them every day, especially my mother., but I cannot return. I ran away for my life because of ISIS threats. I was in 9th grade then, but I didn’t finish my studies and started working here. I provide for my family and send them money for expenses.I was 5 when my father passed away. My older brother became a soldier and I was left with my mother, 3 sisters, and 2 younger brothers. It was very difficult for me to take care of the family when I was so young. But either way, it was much better then because I could take care of them closely and help them there, but I got to the point of living apart from them.” ...

Sep 08 2020

September 8, 2020

“I have been fixing radio devices, wireless devices, watches and fans since 1980 as my day job. After the market died down, I became a Peshmarga in Sewran area until they moved headquarters to Sargalu. I used to make food for the Peshmarga, but they also brought me their broken radios and I would fix it free of charge. I even fixed their walkie talkies. Back then, there were many different types of radio devices such as Philips, Sanyon, Silver, Hancock and Canyon. They all had 7 or 8 frequencies and a lot of people listened to radio in Kurdistan. The older radio models were very difficult to fix unlike now, the recent ones can be fixed by just using an integrator. I have a shop in Hajiawa now and every day I ride my bike to the shop to make a living. Thank God that I don't depend on salaries and I have my own business, which I dearly hold to my heart.” ...

Sep 07 2020

September 7, 2020

“I am 69 years’ old, I was 17 when I got married. I have faced a lot throughout my marriage, but I have always supported my husband, in a way that I have often worked hand in hand with my husband like a man and have played a role in providing for our children.The most difficult part for me was when Karim was assigned in one of the bases in Dyala in the 1970s, so we lived as outlanders for many years. My only source of happiness was my children. I have tried my best to raise them based on Kurdish culture and traditions, and fortunately all my daughters-in-law and sons-in-law are Kurds and I have 58 children and grandchildren. I now live with my husband and one of my daughters. To keep up with my children, they have created a group chat that I am also a part of, I keep up and talk with them every day.” ...

Sep 06 2020

September 6, 2020

in Humans of East

“I truly love flowers and greens in general because I'm always relieved when I see them. I have many different types of flowers in my house and I water them every day. Last year while I was watering my plants, the water made way for the flower seeds to go into the cracks of the walls, this year they are all grown up. Once I realized that they had been growing there, I could not ignore them so I started watering them as well. Little by little all the flowers started to emerge from the walls and now everyone who passes by takes a look in admiration. They usually ask how I had done it, but in reality, it is the beautiful work of nature. Since it has such a beautiful sight, it has become a way of gardening flowers.” ...

Sep 06 2020

September 6, 2020

in Humans of West

“My father is a musician, and my sister is an Institute of Fine Arts’ graduate in Halaba. I have been painting since I was a child. I initially drew with pencils on normal notebook pages. 8 years ago, and while I was in secondary school, I painted my first oil painting. My teacher really valued it and was very helpful in my improvements. When I finished my studies in Afrin, I applied for the Institute of Fine Arts, but because Afrin was invaded, I couldn’t finish my studies and we were forced to leave the city and leave my studies.Despite all that, I didn’t drift away from art and painting. I constantly watched learning videos on YouTube. Now that we are in Qamislo, life is calm again. I have applied for the Institute of Fine Arts in Rojava University. I have participated in 3 drawing exhibitions so far, one in Afrin, one at the Rojava University in Qamislo, and an online exhibition in Egypt. One year ago, a Spanish journalist came here and turned my final moments in Afrin into a short documentary.” ...

Sep 05 2020

September 5, 2020

“I live in Hajiawa, in 2015 I planted these trees in front of our house and they gradually grew. The cutting designs are all my own ideas. I have to take care of them and organize them daily, I have to cut them every two days, and I change the design every year. When people pass by our house, they slow down the car to watch the trees, or they get down and take pictures.I want everyone to be part of making the city beautiful, even if it is merely planting one or two trees, especially berry trees, because it grows well here and can stand heat and coldness and it doesn’t cost that much. You could buy a berry tree for 2000 IQDs.” ...

Sep 05 2020

September 5, 2020

in Humans of North

“I am 35 years old and I am from the Dape region in Alaziz. I have been working as a journalist in Istanbul for 10 years, but I have always thought of village work. I once met with some friends in Dersim who do agriculture. After that meeting, I had the idea of leaving journalism altogether and coming to live in the village.When we are planting, we come to the field early, we work for a while and then eat breakfast. We take breaks because of the heat. During the breaks, some friends read books and others swim. That is how well we spend our days.” ...

Sep 04 2020

September 4, 2020

“They say your childhood dreams determine your future, I agree with that very much. It became clear to me after the dinosaur stories attracted me in my teenage years.What are dinosaurs? Where did they go? How big was the Brachiosaurus? I collected money when I was 16 to buy books about dinosaurs, the planets, life, and space. I still have them. I am a geologist, I study the rocks to find out what they are made of. Would you believe it, the rocks talk, yes! This is what I found out after 15 years of studying and working in geology.” “I am now working on the details of a research about the dinosaurs extinction when life ended 66 years ago after a meteor hit the earth. And how life started again. After much effort, I was able to find part of a meteor for the first time around Duhok. This success did not end there. There was another research afterwards about a new geological era around Duhok and Zakho, which many researchers failed to find. It seems like geology feels the same way about me as I do about it.” ...

Sep 03 2020

September 3, 2020

“I did not have a moment of joy in life. Our life was full of obstacles and difficulties. But now my sons have thankfully grown up and my life is much better because of them. My husband would make maximum a quarter or half a Dinar when he used to work, it didn’t cover any expenses. I didn’t know what to do with my children, I had no choice but to raise them on dried bread.One winter it was really cold, I borrowed three blankets without telling my husband, and we didn’t have any money. That night when my husband saw the blankets, he asked what are these? When I told him I had borrowed them, he said tomorrow you will either take them back or you leave the house! Next day I took the blankets back, I said you have to take them back my husband got mad at me. He didn’t agree and said you can pay me whenever you can, and if not, I forgive you. After a while we were able to collect money for the blankets and I went to pay him, he said I won’t take it, but I insisted and he said because you did as you promised, I will take two Dinars less.” ...

Sep 03 2020

September 3, 2020