I saw this again today, a year and a half later, Ahmad Tarboush is still in similar circumstances and sadly his youngest daughter has passed away due to her illness.
We never really got him substantial help. I am saddened by that fact. I hope you all, who see this post, remember our friends who are living like this every day and please whatever help you can offer, offer it freely and gladly
This is a small part of the story of Ahmad and his four daughters, Sana, Naima, Shaima, and Rowan.
They left Aleppo in Syria two years ago, fleeing to Turkey after Ahmad was injured in a blast, which killed his wife.
He lives alone with his four daughters in a one-room apartment and whilst he gets help from the Turkish Government the bills keep stacking up and he can’t afford the medical care for not only himself but his youngest daughter.
Rowan’s little bones do not grow properly and Ahmad has no bone in his arm, so he can no longer work as a driver like he did in Aleppo.
Ahmad was sad to leave Syria and he is grateful that he and his daughters are safe now but he despairs at the destitution of a one-roomed apartment for himself and four girls, he says he lives in hell, the constant bills, watching his youngest daughter not getting the medication she needs and the hope he still holds that someone somewhere will be able to help him and his family.
Three of his daughters attend school, for which he pays 180 Lira per month. He pays 200 Lira for rent, Electricity and Water is a further 150 Lira a month.
I often hear, why do refugees not stop in the first safe country that they come to, why do they continue to travel to Europe, to England?
This should tell you why, if this was your family, would you stay in Turkey, content that you cannot afford the healthcare you and your child needs? Or would you travel further if you were able, to get free schooling, a better home more suitable for raising your children, free healthcare and to give your children the best possible new beginning for them, after being ripped apart by a war that wasn’t your fault?
This is how human beings are living “safe from war” as refugees.
We have left the video in the original Arabic, we do not need to understand his words, we can all see quite plainly and feel what he and his family are going through.
How would we feel if this was us?