Ali with his children. (Photo Credit: CARE) Ahmad, 11, in his family's shelter (Photo Credit: CARE)
Ali*, 42, is a cattle merchant. He used to own farms, machines and water wells in Syria, but his story is that of displacement, like millions of others. Ali said goodbye to his town in Dara’a in Southern Syria, after he lost everything he owned to the raging war, leaving his memories, and dreams behind, for the sake of his family’s safety.
Ali and his wife, Salimah, 36, have seven children: Aisha, 16, is his eldest, followed by Hassan, Iman, Ahmad, Hussein and his youngest, Ghazi, who is 7. After moving from one place to another in search of safety for a year and a half, the family found a makeshift shelter in Dara’a. Their new home had no windows or doors and the perforated brick walls offered little protection against the cold weather. Ali improved the shelter by adding windows and doors, made out of pieces of fabric.
The family has been living in these difficult conditions for two years. Salimah struggles to find ways to feed and dress her children. She collects scattered pieces of wood and breaks dry tree branches to light a fire that would offer some warmth in the harsh winter months. She sometimes cooks rice and cracked wheat leftovers and other times heads to nearby fields to find some roots and vegetables. She tries her best to cut down on the cost of food and help her husband in their household spending. Even though their house is always dusty, she does all she can to create a clean and pleasant environment for her family.
Ali deploys every effort possible to bring money home. Every Tuesday and Friday, he heads to the cattle market to find day jobs. He makes between 13,000 (25 USD) and 26,000 (50 USD) Syrian Pounds, which are not enough to put food on the table.
“Until the last day of my life, I will keep fighting hunger and will not surrender to unemployment. I want to teach that to my children,” he says, while trying to hold back his tears in front of his children.
*All names have been changed to protect the identity of individuals in this story.
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