Humans of South - Humans of Kurdistan

“During the 60s, I was working at a sewing shop for five years, until I owned my own shop. I used to sew mens' and womens' clothes back then because there wasn't that much work to only work for one gender back then. Then in 1974 we moved to Iran, my love for my job made me take my sewing machine with me. I started working in a factory that only Kurds used to work at, we were making Peshmarga clothes. I remember that we didn't have electricity, so we used pedals and used portable lights. During the sixties all people used to wear Kurdish clothes except for government employees and teachers. Unfortunately, now it is the opposite, most people only wear Kurdish clothes for occasions. I have been doing sewing for sixty years, and I have taught my kids as well. I didn't want my kids to turn to bad things, so I took them to my shop with myself and they were going to school at the same time. Now that I have gotten old and my eyes have gotten weak, they come here often and help me out”. ...

Feb 25 2021

February 25, 2021

“Making Klash (Kurdish type of shoes) is a craft, and it's very important that you have the talent and can make what the customers demand. I have tried to innovate in making Klash, I have made them in several different colors. Klash is originally white, but I have made black ones, too. When Klash gets wet, its colors are ruined, but I have made them even waterproof, and that's very new in the industry. I have also made Klash with laces. Sometimes people demand Klash that matches the color of their Kurdish clothes, and I make it for them. I really like changing things, I like bringing in new things while keeping the authenticity of the work. On many occasions, foreigners come to us, they buy Klash and take them home with them”. ...

Feb 20 2021

February 20, 2021

“I am 60 years old, and I haven't gotten into school yet, but I can write the names of the people who drink tea and want to pay later on at my tea house. I have been serving breakfast and tea to my guests at my tea house for 53 years non-stop. I come to the shop every morning at 5 AM until evening prayer. Many tourists come to my shop, too. Keeping the place clean and my relationship with my guests have made me really love what I do. Any tourist comes to Akre won't leave until they have my tea. I have learned most dialects in Kurdish language due to my job. I have several recognitions and awards from the cultural and tourism centers. Many artists who visit Akre for concerts and parties visit my shop and it turns into a hub of artistic conversations. Examples of artists who have visited me are Salih Amedi, Tahsin Taha, Ayaz and Ardawan Zakholi”. ...

Feb 18 2021

February 18, 2021

“For as long as I remember, we have had birds in our house as pets. I have always loved birds and wanted to have one of every kind. Eventually, I thought about turning this into a business, I asked for support from my wife, and she agreed to fully support me. In 2011, I opened a shop for selling and keeping birds and I'm still doing it. I also have a side project at home where I am planning to breed every type of Kurdish birds, which is managed by my wife. My life has become very difficult due to this job because I can never leave my birds. I only couldn't visit my birds during the quarantine for two days, and 67 of them died. I help a lot of college students and instructors, sometimes they come and take a few birds for research free of charge. I love my job and I will never leave it because it is a way to make a living for myself and many of my friends”. ...

Feb 16 2021

February 16, 2021

“I was in first grade when my mother passed away. In 1986, we were in Sirwan town in Halabja city. My father was a driver going to Baghdad and coming back. It was at the time of the war between Iraq and Iran, and people were hiding in schools scared they might get injured. However, Iran soon launches an airstrike on a particular school. During that incident, my mother and brother and sister all become casualties in that school, they all died that day. That airstrikes are known as the burnt building of Sirwan. My father got married again after 45 days, and we became homeless due to my stepmother, our darkest days began then because even if we went to other people's houses my father used to get mad at those people. My sister was in an arranged marriage with our cousin since childhood, and I left to Iran when I was 13 and didn't come back until 2007. My mother's passing left a gap in my life that will never be filled, and I will never forget her. Even the whole world cannot be compared to your mother's finger”. ...

Feb 10 2021

February 10, 2021

“During the 80s when Peshmarga forces were active in the mountains and the cities, there was a volunteer force in Garmian called Pshtiwani force. Wherever help was needed, they were there. I also felt I had a responsibility then, so I bought a weapon and joined that force, and after a while I became the commander of a team consisting of 10 people. Then after the revolution, no one even said thank you to us. As far as I could, I was able to make a living for myself doing construction work, and being a shepherd. Unfortunately, I now cannot get out of the house much, I have become very weak and I don't like going out. I don't even like going into crowds of people. I don't even go to funerals in our village. Cities, streets, and events have no meaning to me anymore. The only thing that I have hope for is going to the house of God, I always dream that I will one day get there”. ...

Feb 08 2021

February 8, 2021

“My life may be different from many other lives on this merciless planet. I have been trying to reach my goals ever since I was a kid, and every day I see my goals and dreams get destroyed. Nevertheless, I haven't stopped dreaming, and I hope that one day of them come true. After graduating high school, I didn't get the grades I wanted, and so I left school, even though it was always my dream to have a degree and work. As I grew up, I understood that education and degrees have no value in this place. I loved photography, but I couldn't work despite having many goals because in this country families are the worst enemy of their children's dreams, especially when you are a girl. I now do sewing for work with my sister. I hope one day I can develop this work and it allows me to reach my other goals. Life hasn't stopped, so we shouldn't stop either and we should always try to make our dreams come true”. ...

Feb 06 2021

February 6, 2021

“I was 21 years old when the Anfal started in 1988. I will never forget how my 5 brothers and 3 nephews and nieces were killed in front of my eyes, then took us all to the Duz prison then Tkreet. Only God knows what I suffered away from my mother and family in those prisons for 6 months and 12 days. I was scared and missed my mom so much, I almost lost my mind. I tattooed my mom's name on my hand out of my miseries and loneliness. Not long after we were freed and returned to Chamchamal, my father passed away. Our wound from losing him hadn't healed, when martyrdom of my Peshmarga brother was added too. The only person remaining I was attached to was my mother, who also passed away 5 years ago. We went through Anfal and we were punished for being Kurds, but who remembers us now? I don't even have a political prisoner's ID yet”. ...

Feb 05 2021

February 5, 2021

“My father was alone, and my two brothers were small and couldn't work, I was the only one who could work with him. I left school when I was in fifth grade and started working as a laborer. I first started working in Mousel's bazaar transferring things for 10 fills per day. In 1964, when Abdulkarim Qasim was the president of Iraq I started working in Mousel's sugar factory. I was the only one able to carry three 100kg bags of sugar at once in that factory. One day, a man from Gayara of Mousel challenged us to carry three 100kg bags of sugar for a reward. Despite being the youngest one, I said I could, too. The Arab man laughed at me, and said that if I could carry the bags to his car, he would invite all of the laborer’s to lunch, and if I couldn't do it, I would have to pay for their lunch. I completed the challenge. Back then, my father used to make 6 dinars per month, and mine was 16 dinars. I’m 80 years now and I have visited God's house five years so far, and I feel very healthy”. ...

Jan 27 2021

January 27, 2021

“I have been doing sewing as a job since I was 13. I first started in 1974, due to being displaced by the Iraqi government, we had to leave our village (Xelaki), which was the place of our ancestors. We went to Erbil and I started working for my older brother, and started getting some experience. After we ran away from the government in 1991, we came back to our village and kept doing what I was good at. I have taught many people, from my own kids to many strangers, all of which have become fairly experienced now. My father always used to tell me if I teach people to work and they make a living off of it, God will always bless my home, so I always have to be ready to share my knowledge. I have met many different people during half of century of this work, I have interacted with many people. The fact that I am so calm now is due to all that experience I have had”. ...

Jan 23 2021

January 23, 2021