8A Personal by Johan Nayar

2016-09-05 08:37:22 UTC

I open my eyes and everywhere is sunlight. I don’t know exactly what woke me up. Everything hurts - my legs, stomach, arms and my head. Everything. My little brother is screaming. There is a strange smell, something like burnt meat – but stronger. I’m still lying in my bed, not yet able to move.

After a while I stand up to open the door. But where is my door? And what’s that in the corridor? Everything is destroyed and bloody. I’m not able to walk directly into the corridor, I have to climb over my blue shelf and my destroyed door. And suddenly I see my dad lying on the floor. But why the hell is he sleeping there? I go to him to wake him up. I shake him. I shout at him. But he doesn’t move.

Personal change in the case of war

2016-09-05 08:38:21 UTC

2016-09-05 08:40:25 UTC

Bomb attack in Syria

2016-09-05 08:41:25 UTC

Karim is only one of many Syrian children whose life totally changed from one moment to the next. He was just seven years old when he lost his parents during a bomb attack hitting a district of his hometown. He had to flee from Syria through Turkey, Greece, on the Balkan-route to Germany. That had a huge impact on him and changed his personality completely.

2016-09-05 08:42:16 UTC

Having a family is very important for children who are growing up. They learn nearly everything from them in their first years – how to eat, how to walk, how to speak, how to love. Then – later – they prepare them for living alone when they are adults. So when children suddenly lose their parents everything changes. They have to manage their lives alone and have to take care for themselves and maybe also for their younger siblings.

2016-09-05 08:43:39 UTC

Karim and his younger brother (left) - and cute SHEEP (in the background)

Questions and comments

2016-09-05 08:47:00 UTC

Great pictures :p

We are so proud of you <33333 THANKS

2016-09-05 09:03:43 UTC

It’s even harder for children in the case of war. When they have to leave their country they get to know another culture, another way of life, another language and they have to adapt to that. They must search for a new trustworthy people who they can confide in who could help them to get over their home-sickness. The process of adapting and integrating in a new society could last years – but it’s a first step to allow children to create a new life in a new family which would give them love, a place to grow up and to feel safe again. So they could develop in the best way possible.