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Dear diary!

My name is Magda. I'm 12 years old and Ι'm very disappointed because I left my country. I'm so sad and tired because I haven't slept, I left my house, my grandparents, my dad and my 2 older brothers. I don't have anything, I don't have a home and I don't have food. It is late at night and now we are getting ready to get on the boat. When I made the leap onto the boat holding my little brother and my mother, I felt tired, anxious, afraid and exhausted.

Magda

St'1

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In Their Shoes: A Journey from Asia Minor

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In Their Shoes: A Journey from Asia Minor

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It was 5:00 in the morning when my mum came to my room woke me up and told me to hurry up . The Ottoman officers told them we  had to leave the place until 10:00 p.m. for the reason that we hadn't accepted to become turkish citizens. Otherwise they would send us to jail or kill us.

When I heard this, I froze. I jumped out of my bed and started packing food into my bag ,while my mum was packing  some clothes for us .

Our hearts were ready to break but we had to be strong and united as a family.

At 9:55 we were at the port where my dad had our boat ready and with my other relatives we got on it hoping for a better life .

Despite that we left from Asia Minor as Greeks, in Greece people welcomed us as Turkish and that made us feel disappointed.

Aggelos

St2

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Dear Diary,

My name is Agis. I would like to tell you my story, which is very sad. I had to leave Smirni yesterday, and I felt very disappointed. They made us go away from our homes and run away. So, I lost my two best friends: Takis and Makis. We used to play together every day and we had a very good time. I know that I will miss them very much.

Firstly, I hope that my parents, my brother and I will find a safe area to stay. Secondly, I hope that I will find Takis and Makis and we will make new friends. I am very scared because they burnt my house and my uncle's, too.

John V.

St1

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14/9/1922

Dear diary,

My name is Flora and I’m 14 years old. Last week I left my home and my family.

Now I’m alone. I only have my puppy, as I don’t know anyone here. I miss my eldest sister but she told me to never give up and always look forward. Besides, I miss my best friend whom I hope to see again. I feel scared and I think I’m not going to make it. I want to be happy and feel safe again.

Johanna and Marietta

St2

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My name is Kostas. My family was forced to leave our house and our home country in Smyrna, Asia Minor. The Ottoman soldiers burnt our house and other buildings. My mom took me and my sister and we went to the port. When we arrived there, my dad was loading a small boat with three other men. Behind us,in the town,soldiers were burning and stealing.

My mom said “Get in the boat”! I was so scared. We left the town with other two families. Shootings were heard. This is not my town and the area I was raised during my childhood.

This is a burnt hell, not my sweet home country!!!

Konstantinos

St2

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Dear diary,

My name is Catherine and I am 12 years old. Today is 1st of September 1922. We have just boarded on the big boat our parents had been talking about. They told us to quickly pack everything needed and also bring as much food as we could. Me and my siblings weren’t really prepared and we actually forgot to bring our school bags. Fortunately, we are now all together and we have enough food to survive. I’m still trying to find my best friends though. This boat is pretty big and there are thousands of people here. Me and my friends actually knew that this time would come and decided that we should stay with our families while on board in order to be safe and try to meet afterwards. I’m afraid to think what will happen when we arrive…

Katerina

ST2

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Dear diary!

My name is Theodora and I am 12 years old. I am very sad because I left my country, my family and my best friends behind. I hope to find new friends who will treat me well and I will feel like they are my family! Also, I feel scared because I will be alone and I don’t know how I will be able to live without my family. Finally, I promised my parents and my best friends that I will go to see them whenever I can!

Theodora

St1

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Dear diary,

Today it’s a different day. My family and I have to leave our home and go to another country. From today we are refugees . They bought me this diary to feel happier . My name is Maria and I am 10 years old . The sun was rising as we were sailing in the beautiful sea .  I turned back to see our home for the last time . My life was there : my friends , my teacher , my family, the tulips that I had planted with my uncle . I left everything behind . I am so scared, but I have hope in my heart . Fear for the unknown and  hope to be safe . We left with my sister , my mother and my father .  The other members of the family were about to follow us . The boat was waiting for us . It was very small . I was very scared but I know that I have to be brave . My dream is to find a new place where we can be safer . I will go to school again and my family will be happy . This journey was the hardest thing that I have been through in my whole life.

Dimitra Ioannou

ST1

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Thoughts/Confession of feelings...                        

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Thoughts/Confession of feelings...                        

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My name is John. I am 12 years old and I’m vey sad because I left all my friends and my home behind. The Turkish army started cheering and burnt everything in our town. My dad told my brothers not to panic and to collect some valuable things. At 5 a.m a small boat took a lot of people and carried them away. When we collected some of our valuable items, we left our house and we went to the port. There were so many people there. I was afraid. We saw our home burning. When a ship came, my dad, my mum and my brothers embarked. On the boat there were a lot of people. After 5 hours, the boat arrived at a new country. Its name is Greece. The first years were very difficult. We didn’t have much money, we didn’t have many clothes. We lived in a small house, in a village. Our home had a small yard with some pigs and some chickens. The school was far away from home. My brothers and I would walk for an hour to get there. We didn’t have notebooks, we only had a pencil.

Chris Kanarakis

ST1

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My name is Manolis and I’m 11 years old. It was 1st September 1922. My legs were shaking while I was walking towards the boat. I didn’t know why we had to leave but my parents said that it was dangerous to stay at home because there was a war. I was sad because I didn’t want to leave my friends and my home back but my mum told me that we were in danger. The boat sailed away and my heart started shaking a lot.The sea looked big and I was terrified. My elder brother said that as long as the boat was moving I was safe. I was stressed about my new life in my new country. I hope to find a new school and friends, but I’m still going to miss my home and my life I left behind along with my dreams.

Lefteris

St2

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My name is Kiriaki. I am 11 years old. I am scared because I have to leave my home and move to a place that I don’t know. I feel sad, but we have no other choice. I left everything behind. I just got my little teddy bear which I have had since I was born. I hope to find a new home and friendly people who will welcome us to their country. Fortunately, my whole family is with me. My parents tell me that everything will be all right, since we are all together.

KIRIAKI

ST1

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My name is Dimitra and I am 12 years old. Me and my family are on the boat, crossing the sea. I am hungry, thirsty and tired. We don't really know where we are going and if a storm comes we will definitely lose our direction. My grandma is anxious and terrified. My mother is trying to calm her down and says that everything's gonna be alright. I miss my friends and school. I hope they are all safe. Oh no! It's getting dark soon. But I am not scared as I have my family by my side.

Dimitra K.

ST1

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My name is Ionas and I am 11 years old. My house is in Asia Minor. Today I am leaving my village because the Turks burned all the houses. I don’t know where we are going. I feel sad and disappointed because we are walking towards the unknown. We left everything behind. We don’t have any food, any medicine, any water, any clothes. I hope we will find a house in a place without enemies, but only friends, more food and water and a better life of course. Although I am with my friends, I feel scared.

Iasonas

E1