Did mother nature turn against me?

When they hear about Syria, many people's minds automatically turn to conflict, but what about the threat slowly emerging from the shadows?Climate change in Syria and its unforgiving side-effects of drought, flooding and rising temperatures, have over the years forced more than 1.5 million Syrians to displace from farming areas  that were once their source of income. 

To 33-year-old Thuraya*, climate change didn’t only affect her life, it invaded every aspect of her livelihood.

Born with a disability that prevented her from taking her first steps, Thuraya came face to face with the threat to humanity, climate change and its impacts.

Waves and waves of drought.

Living in the countryside, Thuraya’s family of 11 relied on farming and livestock but mother nature had different plans for them, “I remember when I was a child in the 90’s, a wave of drought hit our area, which caused our economic situation to deteriorate as our crops production was depleting”, she begins.

From that day onwards, poverty sat at their table, consumed from their food, ignored their sorrows and followed them around every day as they struggled to scrape by the days. 

For Thuraya, drought caused a cycle of constant distress and many lost opportunities, “I constantly needed support with moving from one place to another. After the waves of drought, my parents couldn’t afford physiotherapy assigned by the doctor, which could have been a major factor in my recovery. When I was in elementary school, my parents couldn't afford a wheelchair, so my mother had to accompany me to school every day to help with my transportation, devoting her time to my education. Although I loved school, I felt like a burden”, recalls Thuraya.

Although, just like any child, Thuraya dreamt of her graduation day and blue robe, unfortunately she was only able to get her primary education due to the scarcity of local schools and her transportation difficulties, putting a full stop to her education journey or at least for that moment.

And things were just about to take an uglier turn.

By the early 2000s, the family faced a devastating drought that destroyed their farmland, and despite many efforts, they only got a meager harvest. This forced the father to sell the remaining cattle. In the end, they had to leave their home and search for a new home. "Due to the drought, my father didn't even have money to feed the cattle. We had to leave our home in search of a better life, but instead, the area we found ourselves in lacked even the most basic services. It was so bad that sometimes we had to drink salty well water to survive”, she recalls. But a new chapter is about to unfold.

Sweet sixteen.

“These were some of the happiest moments in my life”

After 16 years of constant nightmares, and thanks to her sister's dowry money and some modest savings, Tհuraya finally underwent a life-changing սւռգեռը that liberated her from a life sentence of hardships and and enabled her to take the first steps. "After fear and hesitation, I took my first step standing up. It was very difficult, but it came with happy tears, laughter and indescribable emotions," Turaya shares.

Thuraya embraced her new life with open arms, continuing a dream she thought was lost in the clouds, “The first thing I did after my partial recovery was to continue my education at 17. I obtained secondary school education and later a high school diploma, making myself and my family proud”, she announces.

 Break is over.

After the family barely caught their breath, Syria was hit with the 2011 crisis. It was clear for Thuraya’s family, hardship was far away from packing its bags. Yet again the family had to abandon their home in 2017.

“At times, we had to leave our home because of the crisis and at other times drought was behind it”, she explains.

Despite Thuraya and her family's deep desire to remain in their countryside home, relentless droughts forced them into a cycle of financial uncertainty, emotional instability and displacement. This is where World Vision Syria Response stepped in with the Anticipatory Action project, saying enough to this agony.

After hearing about the sessions given by World Vision Syria Response Partner, about climate change, Thuraya became intrigued and was determined to seize the opportunity by the horns. “I was impressed by the project’s focus on protecting vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, from natural disasters. I wanted to learn more about its services and impact and so I contacted the project’s team and got accepted”, says Thuraya.

Finally, I could have a choice.

Thuraya participated in dialogue sessions aimed at mitigating floods and droughts, "I used to think disasters were inevitable and we had to fend for ourselves. But I learned that disaster prediction, proactive measures and community cooperation can greatly lessen their effects, which was an eye opener for me", reflects Thuraya.

For Thuraya, this project hits close to home as the community came together to beat their shared concern, “my participation in the dialogue with administrative officials, influencers, activists, and leaders from organizations, greatly increased my self-confidence. My voice was heard. I felt so empowered”, continues Thuraya.

"Through the project, I can finally stay in my village close to my family, feeling secure and not worry about sudden natural disasters destroying our livelihood yet again. I feel like this project has the power to transform our lives”, finishes Thuraya.

Thanks to the generous funding from Aktion Deutschland Hilft and the dedicated work of our partner, awareness became the key that unlocked a future filled with happiness and stability for Thuraya and the 90,000 other targeted participants.

*Names are changed to protect identity