From Syria to Barrow: A refugee reveals their story of survival

A family start their day by giving their children breakfast and practising their English.

They have very little belongings: a sofa, fridge and donated television, yet there is an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

Forced to flee their home in war-torn Syria, Ibrihim Hamdan, his wife and their two young children are learning to fit into a nation, culture and society which is far from their own.

Ibrihim was just one of an estimated 320,000 civilians who fled the city of Daraa, Syria since the uprising began in 2011.

He spoke of the simplicity of life before the war began, his hopes for future peace and his new life with his family in Barrow.

Speaking through a translator in his adopted home of Barrow, Ibrihim tells us his story.

He said: “I was born in Daraa in 1991 of a family of four girls and three boys. Life was calm and simple. I lived in a rural area where we grew our own vegetables.

“I was top of my class studying a vocational course in telecommunications at Yarmouk University, life was good.

“I met my wife, Ghena through my family. She always used to visit my house and I liked her. When I decided for sure I wanted to marry her, I asked her five years later. I liked how intelligent and smart she was.”

Ghena was studying to become a maths teacher, forced to abandon her studies when the war began.

Ibrihim’s first glimpse of war was through the television during the Arab Springs of late-2010.

He said: “I thought it would all end very quickly, I never thought Assad would last this long as leader and cause this much destruction.”

Soon the conflict began to hit closer to home.

“There began to be protests all over the country and it eventually came to where I lived.

“In 2013, the army started to intervene, that was when the war really started.

“A couple of years later the army took over the university and some of the lecturers were shot.

“From then on, we lived in the middle of a warzone. We saw the aeroplanes and bombs destroy the houses we’d been surrounded by for years.

“There were tanks on our streets, we saw so much destruction which will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

“It has had an irreparable impact on our emotions.”

Ibrihim explained how the horrors of war became an everyday occurrence.

“After a few years it became normal but still very emotional.

“When Ghena became pregnant, we knew we had to do everything to protect the baby.

“I was working for the White Helmets who are part of the Civil Defence and it was their decision for my family’s safety to leave Syria so we fled to a camp in Jordan in July 2018.”

The White Helmets is a humanitarian organisation which provides aid for victims in war-torn Syria.

Ibrihim felt compelled to join the group and fulfil his mission of helping people.

“I wanted to do humanitarian work to help people. It’s the kind of work which doesn’t involve guns or violence.

“We pull people out of fires, rescue the wounded from fallen buildings, inspect unexploded bombs and help however we can.

“Ghena was very worried for my safety at this time. The regime saw us as the enemies which was worrying.

“The worst thing I ever saw was a tank which had bombed an entire house where every person was injured.

“There was a little girl who had lost both her legs and a little boy whose insides were pouring out, it was horrifying.”

Ibrihim spoke of his inability to mask his emotions during his time as a White Helmet.

“There was an overall sense of emergency, I was horrified by everything but had to help. It was constant war which became a torment for me.”

Ibrihim lost his brother in combat last year.

As the war progressed, Ibrihim and his family were told to leave the country out of fear of their safety.

“People started talking about leaving to another county in Syria.

“We went to a camp in Jordan for 90 days where there was so water, no electricity, no mobile phones.

"We had to live like this with a two-month old baby.

“We heard about supporting countries like the UK, Canada and Germany taking in refugees and prayed we would be chosen.”

Ibrihim, his wife and their newborn baby boarded a five-hour flight to London before arriving in the unfamiliar town of Barrow in Furness.

The couple’s first impressions of the town were ‘very cold’.

Since arriving, Ibrihim and Ghena are taking steps to fit into their new, adopted home.

They both attend English classes three afternoons a week whilst Ghena belongs to a mother and baby group.

Despite their traumatic past, the couple are adamant on fulfilling their future plans before the war took place.

Ghena wants to finish her maths degree and Ibrihim hopes to continue his humanitarian work.

He said: “We are very grateful for the volunteers who have given us a home and chance at life.

“However, we can’t forget about the families left in Syria.

“People are still living in desperate situations, families with children are still living in fear everyday.”

Ibrihim is just one of six refugee families currently living in Barrow. If you would like to help contact furnessrefugeesupport.co.uk.