Photo by Migratory Birds Team

Twelve months here

We have been living in the refugee camp for almost a year. The problems haven’t yet brought us to our knees because hope grows inside us, just like the plants we planted in our yard grow. But I am tired, I want change and I want to feel happy.

When we first came to the camp, we lived in tents. It was not possible to have a small garden for planting, we had no money to buy plants, nor access to water to water them. Later, when we moved into containers, my first thought was to create a small garden in front of mine.

Having plants that you look after is a lovely feeling. It is also good for my parents’ state of mind. Every morning my father wakes up and goes to care for the plants and that makes him happy. And when my father feels well through planting and caring for our small garden, then I feel happy too. In fact, our small garden has produced some of the vegetables that we need in our cooking, such as tomatoes, peppers etc., so that we no longer need to buy them. I hope our future will blossom alongside the plants. I hope we are able to go to university and have a better life.

Fereshteh Esmaili

Elham Esmaili

Young Journalists

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