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Ten-year-old Narjis* lost her father when an airstrike hit their home during the battle to retake Mosul. She and her two siblings now live with their aunt and grandmother in West Mosul.
“Life was beautiful and comfortable before,” says Narjis. “But then the war happened and our house was destroyed.” She recalls the moment their house she was hit by an airstrike. “The rocket hit and there was dust everywhere,” she says. “I couldn’t see anything. Then they took my father from under the rubble.”
Narjis stopped attending school at first grade, and returned last year after the war ended. “It was very nice for me to go back to school again,” she says. “I succeeded and now I’m in the third grade.” Narjis’ original school was damaged during the war, so she now attends a different school. “My old school was hit by an airstrike and destroyed,” she explains.
In the future Narjis dreams of being a teacher so she can teach children to become engineers and doctors. Her favourite subjects at school are Islamic Studies and Mathematics. In her free time Narjis likes to study and help her aunt with household chores. Everyday she walks to school with her sister – a walk that takes 20-25 minutes.
Save the Children is helping the family by providing psychosocial support and cash assistance. The children also sometimes attend the Save the Children Child Friendly Space. “I go to the CFS sometimes with my friend,” says Narjis. “We play and draw there. But it’s far from here. If there was one closer we would go there to play more often.”
* Names have been changed to protect identities
