"You see me laugh all the time regardless of my difficult story." HH’s Story

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“No one goes anywhere alone, least of all into exile — not even those who arrive physically alone, unaccompanied by family, spouse, children, parents, or siblings. No one leaves his or her world without having been transfixed by its roots, or with a vacuum for a soul. We carry with us the memory of many fabrics, a self soaked in our history, our culture; a memory, sometimes scattered, sometimes sharp and clear, of the streets of our childhood, of our adolescence; the reminiscence of something distant that suddenly stands out before us, in us, a shy gesture, an open hand, a smile lost in a time of misunderstanding, a sentence, a simple sentence possibly now forgotten by the one who had said it.” (Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of Hope)

The following story comes from Her Routes and Roots, a series on the harrowing journeys of displacement undergone and told by the young women who experienced them, focusing on their resilience and pivotal moments of strength. Stories are drawn from in-depth narrative interviews conducted during Her{connect}Her, a global voice program by Footage Foundation. The following story has been edited for length, clarity, and the safety of all individuals involved. 

HH, a seventeen year old student from Damascus, loves to laugh. 

“Doctors say laughing is very good for the heart. That is why I want to laugh everywhere and as long as I can.” 

In Damascus, HH wakes every morning at 5am. She jogs for an hour to warm up for her swimming lessons, showers, then heads out for school. After school, she makes time for a quick dinner before heading to her English lessons, followed by kickboxing. If time allows, HH likes to end the evening by visiting with friends. 

“We had the best life in Damascus”. 

It’s been two years since HH fled the Syrian capital to start a new life in Skaramagas, Greece. The war in Syria started abruptly, and suddenly it was no longer safe to stay. Fleeing on foot, HH made the treacherous journey to Turkey. After a week, HH made her way to Mytilini Island, then the Piraeus Port, before finally landing in Skaramagas. 

“When I arrived there and saw the tent I had to live in, it shocked me, because I was waiting to find organizations that would treat us and give us things… I started to cry, and I wanted to go back. I did not want to stay there.” 

Despite it all, HH works in the camp food station and as a translator, using her skills to help those around her communicate effectively. Remarking on the interview, HH said “I want to do this interview to help other people when they read this and learn something for their lives.” HH dreams of the day she can leave Skaramagas and resume her many athletic and academic interests, travel across Europe and Asia, and study to become an anthropologist and hairdresser. 

“You see me laugh all the time regardless of my difficult story. I have experienced many issues that may kill someone. But, I am still alive and laugh and do not think about it, because I want to go on.” 

HH’s story and resilience is remarkable, and a true inspiration. 

Agencies and NGO’s must seek out and value the perspective of women and girls, and design programs and interventions based on the priorities identified by them. Footage was founded to serve this very purpose, and we remain committed to sharing the stories of the silenced. 

We are eternally grateful to our generous donors and supporters who make Footage's refugee work and many of program's to elevate lives possible.

To support some of the thousands of women and girls in situations like HH around the world, and Footage's work; raising voices to elevate lives, please visit: www.footageproject.org/invest.

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