Humans of South - Humans of Kurdistan

“I’m three years old! That may sound strange but that is the truth because in the last three years I finally realized what life is like and I enjoyed things like everyone else. For many years I lacked the courage to go to a place as I desired and do some shopping, even to go to public places like other people! because of embarrassment and fear of society. Some loyal friends encouraged me to be strong and bold. After that I decided to overcome all the antiquated mindsets of ignorant people and comments from the surroundings. Eventually I came to the right conclusion and broke down that misconception. It is still not late for a 22-year-old girl like me to try to achieve my dreams. I want to tell everyone: I’m another person now, I used to ease my anxiety and stress with my Saz but now I play it for everyone fearlessly”. ...

Jan 30 2022

January 30, 2022

“If for others Valentine’s Day is the day of love, it is a day of misery and bad luck for me because I lost my mother in a distressing accident on that day. I despise that day. I don’t want that day to come around again each year. I remember everything. I was 15-years-old when one morning we woke up to the sound of crying and screaming. We saw our mother burning and screaming! We rushed her to the hospital and she was there for ten days. Due to the high percentage of her body that was burned, she passed away. This is the story of my life, which I will never forget nor does it ever fade away”. ...

Jan 19 2022

January 19, 2022

“Every so often, I work the entire week. It is work, and I have to flow with it. The way things operate is completely different from before. Nowadays, customers send their location, and I easily and swiftly deliver their desired food. When I am on my motorcycle, I daydream hundreds of times until I reach my destination. I have completely merged with the city’s streets. Listening to music until I reach my destination has helped me as much as my motorcycle! If it weren’t for music, who can withstand the street’s traffic, the chilly wind, and the coldness and warmth of the seasons? One night, I was delivering food for a customer. I will never forget that night since I was extremely hungry. I was standing in traffic, and I noticed that the moon resembled a pizza. I almost pulled over and ate the pizza. Later on, I snapped out of it and asked myself, “What are you doing?” That was one of the many fantasies that I continuously have while I am driving on the motorcycle." ...

Jan 09 2022

January 9, 2022

“I was very young when I got married, but I was forced into it because the marriage was a wife for a wife*. Marriage unfolds the gates of bliss for humans, but sadly, for me, it was the opposite. Unfortunately, a while after I got married, my brother passed away. The death of my brother was a wound that was difficult to heal. My only son’s love and affection made the entire process durable. Not to mention our strenuous livelihood that had disturbed our peace. Despite all that poverty, my husband developed an illness that did not have a cure. We could not find treatment anywhere. I will never forget his final night in life. I stayed up all night making paste. I was immensely tired. When I heard the call to prayer (Adhan), I said, “Hassan, let us pray and then sleep.” He said, “I have too much pain. I cannot sleep.” On that night, his howls and wails could reach the other side of the world. But due to poverty, I did not have anywhere to turn to. One of our neighbors came and gave me some money so that I could take him into the city with a horse. Unfortunately, he passed away in the middle of the road and left me by my lonesome for all eternity." ...

Oct 07 2021

October 7, 2021

“I recall when I was 14, we had a tricycle wagon and we would sell sunflower seeds. The tires on the wagon belonged to a bicycle. We were a few brothers and we would take shifts and head over to the wagon to sell sunflower seeds on daily basis. Therefore, my father purchased a bicycle for us and we would use it for transportation. When the tires on the bike and the wagon would puncture, there weren’t any mechanics in my city. As a result, when my father would visit Erbil to import nuts, he would take the tires for adjustments. Therefore, I pondered upon the idea of fixing them myself. 21 years ago, I would rent out my bike during Eid and other celebrations up until the point where I became a bicycle mechanic. At the moment, I own a shop for adjusting bicycles, where we purchase, sell, and fix bikes. Thank heavens, my family’s livelihood depends on it. I have found the route to my own occupation and I am very pleased with it. People visit me a lot in Akre, alongside villagers”. ...

Oct 03 2021

October 3, 2021

“According to my mother’s words, there was a lot of argumentation about what to name me. Later on, to my aunts’ preferences, a name was chosen for me that involved the name (Ziyad). The reason for naming me that name leads back to my aunts being huge admirers of the artist (Ziyad Asaad). Moreover, my father is called (Asaad), it was more suitable. To be frank, I do not have an issue with the name, and it appeals to me to an extent. Back when I was a child, my friends would say, “His name is Ziyad Asaad.” In our alley. It was very ordinary to me. At the time, I did not think that artist was that well-known. But as I finished my education, and engaged with further people, I figured out why so many people admire this artist. But I will not conceal that I do not attend to him, and his songs are not my favorite. Nevertheless, I would like to see him up close and tell him, “You are the person I was named after”. ...

Sep 30 2021

September 30, 2021

“I was born in an affluent family, but I have always desired to have my own independent business. I have never preferred a job where an individual order you around. I have had the very same opinion on education as well, meaning I do not consider employment as independent labor. I discontinued my education at the age of 18, in hopes of standing on my own feet. Initially, I established a shop and worked in it. After I drew people’s attention to myself and built trust, I attempted to utterly indulge myself in my job, so that I do not detach from the market and the business. For precisely two years, I did not grant myself one day off. I was able to reach my intentions and establish an adequate foundation for my business. I have faced a great deal of misfortune amidst this career, but nothing is as unpleasant as continuously traveling to Sulaymaniyah from Halabja for commodities. Traveling on that road always comes with calamities. I have even had a car accident once, I still suffer from pain in my legs”. ...

Sep 28 2021

September 28, 2021

“My mother used to tell me, “I was about 2 or 3 years old, only recently starting to walk. One day, a woman came to our house and said, “Your son is chubby and beautiful.” After that and by a couple of days, I came down with a fever and my temperature would not drop. They took me to a health center, the doctor prescribed an injection, and an acquainted nurse gave it to me. From then on, the injection did not become my treatment. Instead, it became the cause for losing both of my legs. They searched everywhere for a medicament, but they could not find it”. I have not gone to school, because I came down with Palsy in both my legs. I am now 45 years old and have been married for 15 years to a woman similar to me, and we have 4 children. I have my 150,000 IQD disability salary, and it is insufficient for me. But for the past 4 years, I have set up a cake and Pepsi shop inside a school and the teachers have been of great assistance to me. But it has been 2 years and my condition has been a bit unpleasant due to the Coronavirus and school doors closing”. ...

Sep 27 2021

September 27, 2021

“I am from the Bnary Kusrat village at the brim of Dukan lake. Ever since I have known myself, I have not gone to school and my life depended on agriculture. By planting tobacco, sunflower, and watermelon, I provide for myself and have a minor salary from my Peshmerga days. But as of now, I am a farmer and I am occupied with producing sunflowers on my farm, whereas I have evolved 12 acres of land into sunflower plants this year. I regret not going to school but I am delighted to have 5 sons, who are all educated. Despite my immense efforts with them, they are yet to finish school. Their contrast with their mother and I is that they are able to read and write, and we are illiterate. But we have occupied ourselves with agriculture and I sell our products in Sulaymaniyah and Pshdar and provide for my family with it”. ...

Sep 13 2021

September 13, 2021

“When I first started working with my father, we would make tahini with very simple equipment. I recall back in that time, our tahini mill operated with water and we would grill the sesame with wood and fire. We had very little product with a lot of diligence on daily basis. Thanks to God, we have transported our factory from the village to a much larger village called Qasrok in the borders of Duhok City. Currently, my brothers and I work together, and we make more than 1 ton of sesame into tahini, and manufacture 2000 Kilograms of tahini per day. A fraction of it is local sesame and we import the other fraction from abroad. The weather in Kurdistan Region is suitable for producing sesame but due to the strength and the increase in the sesame fat percentage in the Region, we import a selection of the sesame from abroad. As of now, we export all of our products to the Kurdistan Region, and due to the hygiene and quality of our tahini, it has a lot of demand. I have a very pleasant feeling because I get to witness the outcome of our years of diligence and I am proud of myself.”. ...

Sep 11 2021

September 11, 2021