FOOD BOX SYRIA MARCH 2016
KG FOOD TO
FAMILIES WITH
KG IN EACH FOOD BOX
6'498
342
19
THE FOOD PROJECT
“The trees in the mountains are in bloom. The peaceful sight of the flowers is an odd contrast to the bombs falling in their background.” (6)
Food brings memories from cherished moments with loved ones back to life again. It is a way for man to gather, celebrate and connect. My purpose of this project was to show every detail of Syria, a country where cherished moments and loved ones have become merely memories of tragedies. Therefore, with this food project, I connect you to the people and their stories. The laughter and the tears. The achievements and the losses. The flowers and the bombs.
To the families I had the privilege to meet, to Volkert Engelsman and his team at Eosta, to the team at Fingerprints of Syria, to the fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who shared their stories, my dad who traveled with me and my family that supported me,
Thank you,
Selina Hami
Project Manager
“I went to the military in 1987. Three years ago, when Damascus was hit by the bombs of terrorists, I ran into the chaos to help the women, children and elder people who were running for their lives. I heard the bomb fall and I remember screaming to my friends to take cover. It hit us. My head was all an open wound, you could see everything. I lost my vision, my hearing and parts of my nose. I lost my two eyes and my two close friends that day. And losing my eyes wasn’t what hurt me the most.” | “I was at a safety check when crossing two zones with the car and a soldier was looking at my passport. Suddenly I see a man running from his car then was close to us and I realized that he had left a car bomb. It exploded. The soldier that I had been talking to died. I have scars all over my body and my eardrums are damaged, I can barely hear.” | “My daughter loves to draw.” “What would you like to tell people in Sweden?” “That the only thing I wish for in life is to live in peace with my husband and my daughters, just like any woman in the world.” |
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“My greatest tragedy in life is that my husband died in the war. When my children ask me where their dad is, I don’t know how to explain it to them. They wonder where he is when they see other children with their faithers. What makes me the most grateful now is being blessed with the opportunity to raise my children.” | “I was getting back from work and outside my building I saw a man with guns hanging over his shoulders asking me where I’m going. I realized that my building was being occupied by terrorists and he let me run upstairs to quickly pack our stuff. It feels humiliating to know they have pieces of my life from my childhood, my college books, toys and my underwear. Me and my mom went to live at our uncle’s place.” “A lot of people have lost their faith in life. If we bring people together we want to | “He is my grandchild, my son is not with us anymore.” |
“I am not happy. There is no future or hope left. It doesn’t exist. Our men are in the military and we fear for them. But we don’t want to leave our country. We stay strong.” | "I was a soldier for 16 years. Daesh shot me in 2012. Now I cannot walk. The strongest image I have is when the terrorists shot my friend and they didn’t let us help him. We had to see him lay there and bleed to death in front of our eyes. My wish is being able to walk again so I can go back and fight against Daesh. Daesh forces women to bomb and sell their bodies. I want nothing more than to live with my family in peace.” | “Are you helping your dad with gardening?” “No. I’m just playing.” |
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