Zahra
March 2021
by: Muhammed Muheisen
This is the story of a young girl from Syria, one of the millions of victims and survivors, who were forced to flee their war-torn country and become refugees, leaving everything behind, their homes and hopes, their families and memories, in search for a new safe place, that they can call home.
She was so quiet, looking sad and the scars of war printed all over her beautiful tiny face. Zahra the young Syrian girl who stole my heart occupied my world and became a big part of my life, and I became part of hers.
In the summer of 2015, in a tented settlement on the outskirts of the Jordanian city of Mafraq, was the first time that my eyes met Zahra and my camera documented the beginning of this relationship between us, a girl and a photographer. Since then I made a promise to myself to make it my responsibility to keep telling her story to the world, hoping the soonest possible this story will end with a happy ending and a beginning of a colourful one.
Days, months and years passed us by, hopes of a very hopeful man began to fade away slowly, but never stopped believing that this black and white story might someday turn into colour, and the light might appear. Zahra is growing in front of my eyes and lens and her tough environment still remaining the same. I can see in her young turned to old eyes, silent stories and major issues, trapped inside her and unfortunately, not much to be done, except keeping this promise and hope for a bright day to come, as hope is all that we have got.
Every time I meet her, I feel so happy and so sad at the same time, hopeless, powerless and ashamed for not being able to color her life for good, replace her harsh environment with a healthy one that a child can be a child within.
She fills my heart with joy every time that I visit her, that moment when I step in her environment and she hears me coming, she starts running toward me. It breaks my heart seeing her tears every time the moment that I have to say goodbye to her and her family. I wish I could just for once be the Jinni and in one touch, change her life to the little princess she deserves to be, easy said!
Around the end of the year 2017, one of Zahra’s portraits was awarded UNICEF picture of the year, her picture was published in every major media platform, she became the face of that war, the whole world heard about Zahra, her story and her family’s struggle, however, nothing changed in her life. Was just another prize to be added to the shelf among the selection of my trophies. We crossed 2017, followed by 2018 and 2019.
Last February 2020, I spent a week around Zahra, felt like I never left this place, everything feels and looks the same as if it is 2015, except the children are turning to young adults, parents are aging, dreams are fading and responsibilities are piling.
In April 2020, I spoke to Zahra and her family on the phone and most of our conversation was about the coronavirus and how scared and vulnerable they and the people surrounding them feel. Few days after I video called them from my home in Greece and Zahra was so happy to speak to me and she offered me a flower through the screens and we made a promise to meet soon again.
Zahra hardly went to school, doesn’t read or write properly, she dreams to have an education and a normal life, just like any other child. One hope left for Zahra and her family is to join another family member in Canada. If pictures can cross borders and make an echo I hope that someday I will be able to visit Zahra in their new home, in her school class in Canada. Hope is all what we have got and we should never stop hoping.
On March 18, 2021, I spent the day with Zahra and her family, a year since the last time I visited. They are now sheltered in a tented settlement near the Jordanian city of Ma’an. I was very happy, despite the pandemic, to be able to travel to Jordan and check on Zahra and her family and was so relieved to see with my eyes that they are safe and healthy.
As I approached the settlement, I noticed Zahra running from a couple of hundreds of meters towards me, she was so happy to see me. She is taller than last year and we made a joke about that….
To be continued…….
