Humans of South - Humans of Kurdistan

“Through volunteering I have been able to participate in many activities that help make the society better. in 2016, while I was a sophomore in the university of Duhok, I volunteered to manage all the volunteers in Duhok university. Along with a group of volunteers we had many activities related to youth growth. After that, in 2018 I started volunteering with the Voice of Youth organization and then became an employee after a while. Currently, I have set out great programs for planning and activities for youth. One of my best projects is under the name "The little free libraries," and that was created by several artists and I was a part of it as well. We have each set up a little library, and the idea is to donate the books you have read to other people to read. You can donate a book and in return take a new one, and this will help to create a culture for reading and donating. The libraries have been setup in several places in Duhok.” ...

Sep 19 2020

September 19, 2020

“I have been living in Hawler for several years now, from what I have seen, I know for sure that Hawler is a city of coexistence. Apart from me as an Arab, I have seen many other nationalities living peacefully same as I do. I paint for a living. Everyday I go to near Qalat and spend a peaceful day. What makes me happy the most is that the people also appreciate my work. It doesn't matter to me whether the individuals I paint are politicians, athletes, or artists, what matters is that I deliver what is asked from me.I admit that I do take money for my work, but that has never been the standard for what I do because I usually enjoy the works that I do for free much more.” ...

Sep 19 2020

September 19, 2020

“It is now almost 14 years since I have had this shop. I work here 18 hours a day and do not want to feel like I don’t have anything to do. I want to be constantly busy with work and not think about the world. I also like to keep my shop clean, I always clean the items and outside my shop. Once I was cleaning in front of my shop, my neighbor, who is an old woman, said can you please clean in front of my house as well? I found that very strange, but I said of course dear, I will clean yours once I am done with mine.” ...

Sep 16 2020

September 16, 2020

“My brother has been a florist preparing flowers for events for a while now. When I decided to start working, it was because of him that I chose this. It is a great job; all kinds of people visit us. I have often felt society’s bad psychological state while preparing flowers in that we are facing depression in many aspects. But I see hope with every flower bouquet I prepare and I see people trying to be happy.There are many events, people request flowers for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, anniversaries, or Valentine’s Day. All the days have their uniqueness. I remember one day we were preparing a very special bouquet for a groom, but he was very anxious and was in a hurry. When we prepared the bouquet, he was so happy that he forgot the flowers.I don’t feel at ease only when I am preparing a bouquet for people who take it to their dear one’s graves!” ...

Sep 14 2020

September 14, 2020

“When ISIS invaded Mosul, all of our lives were in danger. Since our village was so close to the center of the city, we were also in danger. We were forced to leave our house and belongings and head to Hawler. A lot of people in Hawler appreciate us and respect us, but it is undeniable that no place compares to home. I really miss my village's evenings, and I really miss my friends. I hope one day we can go back to our own place and begin my education again. It's true that we are safe here, but the conditions are not ideal as well. My father and I are shepherds in someone else's farm, and the money is much less compared to our efforts. I truly wish we could pass this difficult time and get back to how we used to be.” ...

Sep 13 2020

September 13, 2020

“I have studied accounting at the Shekhan Institute, but I would like to talk about how my love for art started. I have always loved painting and sketching, and everything started from the first grade of school when I knew I had a talent that I need to improve. Ever since, I have been improving my skills day by day, year by year. I was trying to paint the things I see around me. Of course, at the beginning my paintings weren't so good, but what is mostly important is that you are confident in what you do so that you are proud of your work in the future. You see, now I have developed my skills and nothing can stop me from doing what I love. Do what you want to do in life, and love the things that you do.” ...

Sep 13 2020

September 13, 2020

“I decided to study in the Institute of Fine Arts and continue working on my art, but I was going to have to leave my parents and live in the dormitories, which was difficult for me. I stayed in the dormitories for 5 years all while my parents were always in my mind. I was the youngest kid in the house and very close to my parents. When I finished studying in the Institute I graduated with good grades and was able to continue studying in College. I was struggling financially and my mother was ill. I really wanted to work to support my mother so after just 1 year in college I found a job and was hired. I immediately left college and started working so I can have some money as soon as possible to give it to my mother. At the time, I had to work for three months until I got my first paycheck. Unfortunately, my mother passed away before I received any money. I was very behind for my studies, but after three 3 I returned to college and graduated, and also got married.” ...

Sep 12 2020

September 12, 2020

“In 1996, some travelers from Eastern Kurdistan got in an accident. One of them fell and drowned in the water and they couldn’t find his body. The water coming from Eastern Kurdistan to Southern Kurdistan had brought the body to Dukan and some people found him. But because there were no mobiles and stuff, they buried him by the water and put a big rock so it would not get lost. After 8 years, word reached the family and they came here to look for him. I was fishing with some friends that day. They asked us about it and I knew the place and took them to the grave. I helped them take him back to their region. It might sound simple, but I will never forget that day.” ...

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