Some of the photography and text from an exhibition of final projects at the community center, created by young Syrian women and girls:
On the tops of the mountains I drew you, and I found you, and I dreamt about you. To draw you in my memory, in the high of the mountains, I always feel you and I wish nothing, just to see you in every moment.
I want to write special words for you that don’t look like any other words and to invent a new language for you, only for you, to split it up into life’s lines, and into the wide spaces in this grand world.
-- Farida, age 20
-- Farida, age 20
These empty places remind me of my village in Syria, a place that was left without people, after we were used to seeing it with crowds in the streets, and in our homes, with our guests and with our friends. These empty streets and stairs became empty from people who are coming and going to work. In Syria there are also empty houses without people who are chatting or having discussions. Sometimes this chatting was laughing, and it was fun and amusing to hear. This is my view through the photographic angles and from the lines, which are far from all meanings, far from the things that we can easily understand. But in my view these are so clear and expressive. In some of these photos I wanted to frame some of the houses in the distance that look like our houses in Syria with their colors and construction materials, but the difference is that these houses are still standing, and people are still laughing and living a calm life, far from fears and sadness. When our houses no longer have colors that make you easily recognize one from the other, then it becomes destroyed.
-- Fatima, age 25
-- Fatima, age 25
From this photo we can know or we can learn about life, about the film of the life, with its injustice and its darkness. Wherever the life is cruel or bad to us, we should always have a window of light. It makes us feel hopeful about the coming days and that a better future is coming. Darkness, it is being controlled by someone who doesn’t have any relation to you, and injustice, it s to live in your country where you can’t sleep or feel any comfort because of an unjust man who keeps killing people. The beauty in this life is to live, to study, to work, and to find a nice future. In this shiny future you may find the results of these things that you have worked for all of your life.
-- Tamador, age 16
-- Tamador, age 16
This is only a photo of the basil tree, but the soul of this image has a very nice smell. The heart becomes elated when you smell it. All we see in this photo is a green color, but that green color helps us with its photosynthesis. That color is so useful for us because it’s helping to provide oxygen for the planet, which is necessary for life. So, it’s very useful. Some people think it’s just a plant that smells good, but there are a lot of things they don’t know, they don’t have any idea about it. All people should appreciate the plant because it’s the secret of their life.
-- Nada, age 15
-- Nada, age 15
The pazar is a social place where all people come to buy things that they need for themselves. It also includes all kinds of people from all ages. Inside there are everything you need for your home. This simple place is opening one time during the week and its still from early morning until night. Also some people come here to spend time and for looking around at new things.
-- Bayan, age 14
-- Bayan, age 14
I love you Syria and I miss you. I miss the village and the houses. Our poor country is a paradise in our foreignness. We miss the oven in our streets, and in the days when we were sneaking in the back door of our house before the sunrise, and during this time when there is a beautiful feeling. I will carry these memories with me until the day I die. And when we want to be together with the village, during this time the light will be in every place in the village as women are busy baking bread, and returning to the houses with fresh and delicious bread.
-- Dina, age 16
-- Dina, age 16
While I was walking with my father in the street, suddenly I spoke to him: ‘Every time that I pass by this house I am curious and I have a lot of questions in my mind. Who is the owner of this house? Who lives there these days? How weird this house is… it makes me scared and fearful.’ My father told me: ‘This house was a home for poor families. How can this house have such a meaning for you? It is an important place for them. In your eyes it seems like nothing but in their eyes it’s such a great thing for them because it's a home. This place was lived in during all situations. Through the door they entered on cold days and hot days, in winter and summer, during happy times and sad times. It wasn’t abandoned like this, but it was full of life, and people were living here for 10 years. Now this house is derelict and may seem like nothing to you, but it was suitable for them and meant everything to them. Even if a house is big or small it has the same meaning for the people living there. In their eyes, having four walls and a ceiling is better than nothing. So you should learn my daughter, everything has great value despite how big or small it is. You should give everything its right and appreciate the gifts we are surrounded by.’ Then I answered him. My eyes were full of tears because not all people in society are living in the same condition.
-- Tamador, age 16
-- Tamador, age 16
Every time that I look at the red rose I feel my heart beating so fast and I remember that love is still alive in this life, because a life without love has no meaning. Love doesn’t exist just between lovers, no. But also, love exists between friends and people around us, and with people that we know. Roses are the only things that make me feel the touch of love because the smell is different from other smells, because it’s the smell of love.
-- Sawsan, age 24
-- Sawsan, age 24
Between night and night, and street and street, and heart and heart, between people and people, people who left, people who came, between people who laugh and people who cried, who drank the glass and who prayed at the mass, between the eye and the eyelid, Damascus will always stay Damascus.
-
I will go on, on this long road until it ends. And I will throw away many flowers in the river, because I will always be filled by your jasmine, Dear Damascus.
-- Marwa, age 16
-
I will go on, on this long road until it ends. And I will throw away many flowers in the river, because I will always be filled by your jasmine, Dear Damascus.
-- Marwa, age 16