My Most Precious Memories
“I am Layla Sabri and I am from Sinjar. My life before and after ISIS was difficult, the only difference is that I felt save before ISIS committed a genocide against us. We’ve been living in a camp since 2014. It is difficult to live in a tent, I’m on constant alert because the tent can easily catch fire, especially since we live with seven people.
My most precious memories are of my brothers and our home in Sinjar. My two brothers were killed in a bomb explosion in Til-Azeer, one was 19 and the other was 30 years old, and the blast was so severe that could not find any remains. Most of the time I find myself smiling whenever I remember them. I recall playing on our front lawn and laughing with my sisters and brothers. Life was so simple that remembering it makes me cry and laugh at the same time! Even though we were poor, we were comfortable.
I am most proud of my children, they work hard to be self-sufficient. We live in one tent, so there isn’t always room to read or study, but they all get good grades and perform well. I am doing my best to provide my children with opportunities that I did not have as a child. I am committed to give them the chance for a good education and they are committed to staying in school and do their best for their future.
My greatest wish is to be free from this horrible situation and to see my children happy. I don’t think we’ll stay in Iraq. Going back to Sinjar is dangerous, but so is living in the tent. You always have to keep an eye on the wires and electricity to avoid something catching fire.
I hope that through the work I’m doing people will understand the Yezidi culture. People’s work is valued and praised. I’ve been working as a carpet maker since 2018, and when people found out, they praised me and were overjoyed. Another thing is that they accept and respect everyone and are never discriminating regardless of who is in front of them.
In 5 years, I hope to leave Iraq. As Yezidis, the longer we stay, the more heartbreaking it becomes. We witnessed thirst, hunger, death, and horror. I want to provide a good future for my children where they will feel safe, because I did not feel safe here.
Finally, I want to put an end to this bad situation we’re in; the only thing that helped me in this situation was my work. The more orders we receive, the busier we become, and the more we can provide for our families, in addition we received respect and fair treatment while working at the Enterprise and Training Center.”
