“I sing about my homeland and how sweet it is.”
Hosting 15,000 people who’ve been displaced by conflict, Bajet Kandala Camp is high on a hill in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, with rolling pasture all around. It’s winter and yet already the fields are emerald green with the new wheat crop. A chill wind cuts sharply through the camp and the children arriving at the child-friendly space hurry to remove their shoes, place them neatly at the door, and get into the warmth.
Three caravans form the camp’s child-friendly space, built and supported by a generous contribution from the government of Italy. Latrines are being constructed out back and to one side a flat piece of land will transform into a much-anticipated football pitch.
“Most of the children are Real Madrid fans,” says Falah, 23, one of the teachers.
The space caters to about 300 children in three daily shifts. This afternoon there is music. Haitham, 14, has taken the microphone and is singing confidently about his home in Sinjar while several young girls hold hands and dance in a circle.
“I sing about my homeland and how sweet it is,” he says. “After we were forced to leave I started to read poems about Sinjar and I taught myself these songs.”
Haitham hopes to become a professional singer one day. In the meantime he seizes every opportunity to practice. “I come here every day and I play and I sing about Sinjar. A lot of villages have been destroyed and thousands of people have been killed or captured. I can’t forget this.”
Other children sit around the edge of the caravan either watching the dancing or quietly getting on with their studies.
“We’ve taught them a lot,” Falah says. “We’ve shown them how to be tidy, how to take care of their shoes. We’ve taught them about hygiene, and singing and dancing.”
Falah had just graduated from university and was looking for work as a teacher when he fled Sinjar. “There aren’t enough teachers in the schools, so we also help children with their lessons here,” he says.
Even though the camp is generally harmonious, the living conditions are challenging. The child-friendly space provides a respite for staff as well as students.
“There are no problems here because everybody knows each other,” Falah says. “We were neighbours before in Sinjar. And I enjoy my work. When I go home to my tent I get upset, but not here. It’s always nice to spend time with children.”
Chris Niles is a Consultant with UNICEF Iraq.
Direct donations to UNICEF Iraq: http://support.unicef.org/campaign/donate-children-iraq
