Nabila’s Story, Egypt
Nabila’s Story, Egypt
UNHCR, 20 Jun 2014
URL: http://stories.unhcr.org/nabilas-storyegypt-p3344.
“All I need is to find work in order to survive. Can you find me work?”
These are the first words of Nabila, a 42 year old widow, originally from the city of Homs in Syria. She came to Egypt by air via Beirut with her 20 year old son and 17 year old daughter in February 2013.
“Back home in Syria, I was running a ready-to-wear fashion store. My husband was a dentist and he managed his own clinic in the same city. We used to live comfortably and had a good social standing. One day in early February 2013, I learnt that my son was about to be arrested since one of his fellow friends had links with the opposition in Syria. I remember how I was frantically driving my car to the place where my son used to hang out with his friends. I “swept” him and two of his friends into the car just minutes before the army came to take them. On that very day, I made the difficult decision, the time has come to leave Homs.”
“I had to leave very quickly. I didn’t know if we had any relatives, friends or even acquaintances in Egypt. My son mentioned he had two friends who were studying in Egypt. We stayed temporarily at their place. After two weeks, I rented an apartment in 6th of October city in Greater Cairo, where my uncle and his family joined us upon their own arrival in Egypt.”
“Now I have almost exhausted all my savings and I cannot afford this level of rent anymore. The city of 6th of October is far too expensive for someone in my circumstances. I often think that maybe I should have gone to Za’atari Camp in Jordan, where my basic needs of shelter and food would have been met. Egypt has been welcoming to Syrians. However, we have been experiencing many security and economic difficulties. We faced several robberies, and in one of them my daughter suffered a serious injury that required 12 stiches to close the wound.”
Nablia sadly explained the difficulties her children face in education in spite of the fact that the Government of Egypt allows Syrian students to attend public schools the same as Egyptian students.
“The teachers do not teach properly in the school since they have a vested interest in giving private lessons. I cannot afford to give both my children private lessons; I am barely surviving on the WFP food vouchers.”
With her tears rolling down her face, Nabila concludes that life is not getting any better for her small family.
“I wish I could legally migrate to Europe. If I am not accepted by the embassies. I will have no alternative but to cross the Mediterranean by boat. My children’s future is lost already. I even thought at one point to move back to Syria. What more can happen to us? There is no point of living in Egypt without work. With no money, no real education for my children, and above all, with no dignity.”
by UNHCR/Marwa Harshem/2014.
These are the first words of Nabila, a 42 year old widow, originally from the city of Homs in Syria. She came to Egypt by air via Beirut with her 20 year old son and 17 year old daughter in February 2013.
“Back home in Syria, I was running a ready-to-wear fashion store. My husband was a dentist and he managed his own clinic in the same city. We used to live comfortably and had a good social standing. One day in early February 2013, I learnt that my son was about to be arrested since one of his fellow friends had links with the opposition in Syria. I remember how I was frantically driving my car to the place where my son used to hang out with his friends. I “swept” him and two of his friends into the car just minutes before the army came to take them. On that very day, I made the difficult decision, the time has come to leave Homs.”
“I had to leave very quickly. I didn’t know if we had any relatives, friends or even acquaintances in Egypt. My son mentioned he had two friends who were studying in Egypt. We stayed temporarily at their place. After two weeks, I rented an apartment in 6th of October city in Greater Cairo, where my uncle and his family joined us upon their own arrival in Egypt.”
“Now I have almost exhausted all my savings and I cannot afford this level of rent anymore. The city of 6th of October is far too expensive for someone in my circumstances. I often think that maybe I should have gone to Za’atari Camp in Jordan, where my basic needs of shelter and food would have been met. Egypt has been welcoming to Syrians. However, we have been experiencing many security and economic difficulties. We faced several robberies, and in one of them my daughter suffered a serious injury that required 12 stiches to close the wound.”
Nablia sadly explained the difficulties her children face in education in spite of the fact that the Government of Egypt allows Syrian students to attend public schools the same as Egyptian students.
“The teachers do not teach properly in the school since they have a vested interest in giving private lessons. I cannot afford to give both my children private lessons; I am barely surviving on the WFP food vouchers.”
With her tears rolling down her face, Nabila concludes that life is not getting any better for her small family.
“I wish I could legally migrate to Europe. If I am not accepted by the embassies. I will have no alternative but to cross the Mediterranean by boat. My children’s future is lost already. I even thought at one point to move back to Syria. What more can happen to us? There is no point of living in Egypt without work. With no money, no real education for my children, and above all, with no dignity.”
by UNHCR/Marwa Harshem/2014.