Teïma, 14 years old
Teïma is a 14-year-old girl living in camp al-Ihsan, Halba in northern Lebanon, where more than 260,000 Syrians have sought refuge. From the village of Ain el- Tannour near Quseir, with her parents and older brother, she fled intense bombardments that have occurred in this region of Syria from April 2013.
Arrived in Lebanon on May 1st, the family along with seven other people went through the town of Arsal as the majority of refugees did. Having illegally crossed the border to avoid men being arrested by Syrian border guards, the group was arrested by the Lebanese authorities. The group was then imprisoned for three days for this reason then released due to the presence of several young children. After another two-day stop in Beirut, the family was finally able to join the husband's brother, who was already installed in Lebanon before the outbreak in his country of origin. Living in the town of Wadi al-Jamous, ten kilometers from Halba, the al-Khouli family settled there for two months. The brother couldn’t host them so they had to rent a flat during this period until a makeshift home in the camp was ready to be inhabited with dignity.
Installed in the camp for five months, Teïma has all members of her family at her side. In the informal primary school established within the camp, a sheet drawn by the children suggests that they have lost family members. Most of the 35 families within the camp are affected by the loss of a loved one,Teïma's famil is thus one of the few spared. Her father was shot in the right hand, while he was at home. The rest of the family was spared. Due to his disabled right hand, he can no longer work. Meanwhile, his brother works occasionally; the conflict has led him to a constant state of fatigue. Her mother knits wooden scarves and skirts for her daughter and herself, and tries to sell them outside with difficulty.
In this context, occupations are rare. arcenciel provides its premises to the international NGO Danish Refugee Council (DRC) for the training to Syrian women. Teïma has been following a nursing vocational training in the arcenciel Halba center since November 2013; she would like to make it her future career upon returning to Syria. Syria remains the main topic of conversation of her mother with her neighbors, the good memories like the darkest. To keep busy, Teïma and her brother love to draw. Unlike most of the youngest, their drawings do not include reference to the violence they have witnessed in Syria. Still-lifes and exotic landscapes are prominent. For now, their reality is confined to an area of 1200 m² for 35 families. Return to Syria is the wish of all, but months are passing and the conflict persists.
