Hasan & Rushte
Rushte had turned her paper over and drawn what was in her heart and in her head...such a disconnect to the smile on her face!
Hasan was alert and smiling; Rushte was determined as they sat down to drink their tea and observe the chaos. I handed out mandalas and markers to excited children in the camp community center. I noticed their interest and walked over and asked them if they wanted to give it a try, too. Rushte immediately nodded and Hasan accepted in nearly-perfect English. I handed them paper and pens and left Rushte with head bent over her work.
A few minutes later they called me over with proud smiles. “A gift for you,” Hasan said, handing me their paper. I glanced down and was taken aback by what I saw. Rushte had turned her paper over and drawn what was in her heart and in her head...such a disconnect to the smile on her face! She pointed to the bleeding stick figure and the bombs falling on the people and said something in Arabic, motioning to their 9-month old son peacefully sleeping in the stroller next to her. Hasan translated. “This is why we left. To give our son a better life.”
I looked around the room and into the faces of the men and women chatting, coloring, texting, watching, and wondered what pictures their hearts would draw.
Our team members obtain informed consent from each individual before an interview takes place. Individuals dictate where their stories may be shared and what personal information they wish to keep private. In situations where the individual is at risk and/or wishes to remain anonymous, alias names are used and other identifying information is removed from interviews immediately after they are received by TSOS. We have also committed not to use refugee images or stories for fundraising purposes without explicit permission. Our top priority is to protect and honor the wishes of our interview subjects.