A displaced dad’s hope for the future
Fahad sits in his container in Harsham camp for displaced people on the northern outskirts of Erbil. The air conditioning is on high to combat the already ferocious early-summer heat. 3 year old Ahmed is sprawled out in the innocent pleasure of a good nap and is entirely undisturbed by his dad, grandmother, aunt, cousin and two unexpected visitors with cameras and notebooks who have dropped by.
Fahad fled his village in Salah al-Din governorate in north central Iraq with his wife, children and extended family in the early days of the conflict in 2014. He came with his family to Erbil, one of the safest areas of northern Iraq. At the time he had two children — a toddler and an infant.
“When the conflict first started in 2014, my thoughts first were on my children and wife. I was scared for my family, because every day from our home we heard bombs and explosions.”
His three children (6, 3 and 4 months) will have spent their earliest moments in a country rife with turmoil; the earliest memories of the youngest two will be of life as displaced people, in a container in a camp with hundreds of other people far from home.
“What kind of Iraq do I want for my children? Three things. I want it to be safe. That’s the most important. I want it to be free. And I want them to be able to get a good education.”
Fathers play a critical role in a child’s early development. The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are particularly critical, as they make connections to the world around them. If a child is poorly nourished and nurtured, is not stimulated properly and protected from violence their future can be negatively impacted.
Beyond providing for their physical well being, Fahad takes an active role in care taking.
“Ahmed loves to go outside and watch the airplanes flying into Erbil airport. He’s always on the go, always asking to go for rides in the car and on bicycles. I think he’ll be the traveler of the family.
“My daughter is a few years older, and she likes to play “mom” to Ahmed and the baby. She’s very studious, and is always practicing her letters.
“I do everything with my kids. I want them to be like me — I’ll be the one to teach them about our culture and the way we do things.”
One thing he’s passing on? The love of a good tune and the moves to go with it. “One of their favorite things is to sing and dance with me. They’ll happily sing 24/7, and what can I say? I’m a good dancer,” he laughs.
“It’s no good for dads to just sit in the corner and watch TV. If my boy is reading and sees me watching TV, he’ll leave his book to come and sit with me. So I turn off the TV and we work together to read the book. Then we can watch TV. This is going to be especially important when he starts school.”
Fahad is not just an active father at home. He works for a UNICEF partner in the camp, at one of the child friendly spaces (CFS) funded by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), just a short walk from his caravan. His day is spent working with children of all ages who come to the CFS to play and learn, helping more kids than just his own to develop and grow.
“I feel comfortable around kids. I remember what it was like to be young. I just want them to be happy, and to take care of them.”
Jennifer Sparks is a communications consultant for UNICEF Iraq.
