I was born in a beautiful village in Southwest Syria in the province of Daraa; I lived with my parents and my 10 siblings. I had a very happy life here; we had lots of extended family living nearby and we had a good circle of friends. I have very happy memories from my childhood, and when I think about it now, I am sad that my own children will never have the opportunity to experience the true Syrian culture.
At the age of 18, I joined the military. I had no choice. Military service is mandatory for all young men who are not in full-time education. The majority of people from my area joined the military when they were 18, but some people who progress with their studies do not join until they graduate. The only exemption is if you are an only son or brother; in that case, your role is to look after and protect your family.
I left the military after two years when my mandatory service was up and started work as a painter and decorator. This gave me the opportunity to earn good money, and I gladly helped out other family members who weren’t as well off. This too is an important aspect of the Syrian culture.
When I was 22 I married a very beautiful lady – we had many hopes, plans and dreams for our future together. But those plans were quickly diminished when a civil war broke out in our country; our ultimate priority was survival, and chances of that were small if we were to remain in Daraa. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think that war would happen in our beloved Syria.
Reluctantly, we fled to Lebanon and we spent eight hard years there. Those eight years were full of fear, anxiety and stress; often the Lebanese authorities ordered Syrian people out of their country because they didn’t want us there. But, on a brighter note, while living in Lebanon, our daughter was born, and three years later my wife gave birth to a baby boy. The arrival of our children in many ways motivated us; we focused on a better life for them and we knew we would have to do everything we could to make sure they grew up in a safe world, with opportunities that would allow them to thrive. Our resettlement to Ireland has thankfully provided us with the safety and security to once again hope and dream for our future.