The Longing for Home
During the early days of the Syrian revolution, my father refused to allow any of his children to participate in protests or funeral ceremonies....
Tales of the Revolution’s Heartbreak
My family and I fled Syria on January 24, 2012. Too many of us had already been arrested and it was no longer safe....
Replanting Hope in Idlib
Abu Mahmud goes to work on his farm each morning, excited that his 45-acres of land are once again a luscious green. Like hundreds...
The Liberated Women of Idlib
The significant role Idlib’s most devout women played serving the Syrian revolution is one I will never forget. These veiled women were fondly known...
Free Homes For Syria’s Displaced
Jamal and his family were left homeless after Russian air strikes targeted his village of Kfar Nabuda in Hama’s western countryside. Their house in...
The Truce that Never Was
On Sunday morning, December 20, 2015, Russian military aircraft committed a massacre in my beloved city Idlib. Various media outlets reported that more than...
Farmers Harness the Power of the Sun
Before the revolution, Ahmad al-Sulayman grew apple trees on a five-acre piece of land in Idlib’s countryside. Watered by an artesian well, his orchard...
When There is No Place to Hide
Sabah and her family left their home in Kfar Nbuda in a daze. The government had given residents 24 hours to get out, and...
Letting Water Flow Back to Idlib
The civil administration of Idlib in northwestern Syria are bringing back water supplies to regions where infrastructure was badly damaged by the fighting. Idlib’s...
Voting for Assad
It was 2014 and Syria’s presidential elections day was approaching, but many of the residents of Idlib couldn’t figure out what to do. “It’s...
A Dream of Going Home
It was the summer of 2015, and the Turkish government had just announced that it would open its borders with Syria during the Eid...
Bitter Birthday Memories
July 15 is my birthday, so the first thing I did when I woke up that day in 2012 was log on to my...
Restoring Dignity To Idlib’s Jobless
Queues of people, young and old, waiting for food aid have become a common sight in Idlib. The conflict has led to the systematic...
Keeping Syria’s Displaced Warm
Umm Hassan and her six children were desperate to keep warm. Winter had arrived, but they had no oil to light their old stove....
Building Idlib’s New Universities
Mohammad was at a crossroads in his life. Having recently finished secondary school, his natural move would have been to go on to university....
A Promise
The day I enrolled at university was a dream come true. It was the beginning of a new phase of my life, and the...
