Humans of North - Humans of Kurdistan

“I have not left Dersim for 97 years. I have always lived in our village and never wanted to leave my land. I spend my life here and stayed here. This is the land of my childhood, youth, and old age. Everything used to be beautiful, but life is no longer like that and everything has changed, even the people. I hope this new generation don’t leave their lands like us and preserve it.” ...

Sep 05 2020

September 5, 2020

“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.” ...

Aug 31 2020

August 31, 2020

“I started medical work in Amed in 2012. I now work in a children’s clinic in the newborns department. At the same time, I lead the Amed Doctors Union. All over the world and in Kurdistan as well, a doctor’s work is not just being a doctor, because it is not just treating someone’s health. We fight for human rights as well.This job has its own difficulties. It’s true that it used to be very difficult, but it has increased even more now. Health departments in Kurdistan are currently under a lot of crises and issues.The Coronavirus was the most difficult for us and the problems are always on the rise. Health department workers used to work a lot, but the number of patients recently increased due to the Coronavirus, and their work increased along with that. We used to do one job, but now it’s two jobs and our work keeps increasing.” ...

Aug 28 2020

August 28, 2020

We used to do farming and herding, it has been almost two years that we have started farming again with six of my friends. We thought about starting herding again, but we came up with this new idea and started it. We saw the decrease in produce, so we started. People are successful when they have their own products. This is not just for an income, it is also to encourage people to go back to farming and production. Any country that doesn’t have products will cease to exist. That is why we value this work in Dersim and it is necessary for everyone to do something and produce something. ...

Aug 21 2020

August 21, 2020

“I am 13 years old. I tend to the sheep early in the mornings, and in the afternoons, I go to school. We have about 100 sheep and goats. I wake up at 5:30 a.m. every day and take the sheep to the mountain. If I do not have school, I stay with them until 6:00 p.m., but if there is school, I go there. I am in the 9th grade. When I stay with the cattle, I forget everything. I do not have any dreams, when I go to school, sometimes I think of the future and want to become a lawyer. Even if I become a lawyer, I will still return to our village, because I will miss my sheep.” ...

Aug 15 2020

August 15, 2020

“This is an Assyrian village, and I am Assyrian. Our village used to be huge, but there are only a few families left here now, they all went away to Europe. Some of them visit in the summer. I also went to Germany for work for a while, and later my wife and children joined me. I got quite distressed after a few years. I couldn’t breathe there, I missed my quails, chicken and home. I returned to our village, but my family didn’t return with me, that is why I have been living alone for almost 25 years. I am used to solitude, I visit my friends whenever I feel safe. The people of the village bring me food and drinks, bless them. It is true that I am alone, but I am glad that I live in my own house and village.” ...

Aug 13 2020

August 13, 2020

“I don’t know how old I am, my children say I am 114. I haven’t had an ID since I was born, so I don’t know my age. I have forgotten many things, they seem like dreams in my eyes. All I remember is that these streets and neighborhoods did not exist, but they have all become houses and workplaces now. Nothing is the same, everything has changed in the same way that our bodies have changed. I used to be agile in moving around, but now I cannot get up or sit down, I cannot even raise my hands.I stay here until the evening, I see how my life and age pass before my eyes like a movie. Life is as difficult as it is beautiful. People need to live in a way that they know the cost and value of their own lives”. ...

Aug 09 2020

August 9, 2020

“I am 88 years’ old and originally from Dersim. I used to work in Sharnakh 56 years ago. I have kept every gift I have received since then. When I moved to Amed, I dedicated a whole room in my house for those gifts. This small room holds the memories of 56 years. I have received some of the gifts from the cities in the north and other parts of Turkey. Some of them were gifted by my friends and others were hand-made. There are more than 1000-1500 pieces here. Some are very valuable and others are cheap. Some are antiques and some are new. I want my wife and kids to preserve these. I do not want to make any changes here and I want everything to stay where it is now. So that whoever comes across this place will immediately say that is Khala Kadthim’s house”. ...

Aug 07 2020

August 7, 2020

“I was the first woman to open an optical store in Qamislo after my studies. There was no woman in the field, so I knew it was necessary for me to take initiative.When I first started, there were many barriers, among them was the beginning of a crisis in Syria, where supplies that came from Damascus were either delayed or stolen by armed people.I have been able to help many people, except my mother. My mother suddenly lost her eyesight and I have not been able to do anything, there have been no solutions...

Aug 06 2020

August 6, 2020

“I have been making tasbih (prayer beads) for 5 years. I started with the help of my friends. I worked for a master workman for the first two years, and then I opened this place. When I first started, men would tell me you are a woman and this is a difficult job for women, it is a man’s job. I told them I enjoy it and I can make it. I said what do I lack compared to the others who can do it? So I can do it as well. I can make 3-4 tasbihs in a day now. But if the material is old or damaged, it takes a lot of time to repair it. Some of the old pieces take me 3 days to repair. There are 4 women in Turkey who make tasbih and I am one of them”. ...

Aug 02 2020

August 2, 2020