Women and young children spend their afternoons together in this refugee camp in Kilis, Turkey. Since kids under the age of 11 have school in the morning while their older siblings go to school in the afternoon, young children spend their time after lunch playing or helping their parents. One day they hope to return to Syria and their routines of full school days.
Five-year-old Salsabeel has a tough time adjusting to life in Kilis camp. At night, the sounds of explosions just the other side of the camp's wall startle her out of her sleep. Her mother, Randa, says she often cries at school because she gets scared, and she is usually attached to her father's hip.
A young girl stands on the back of a pick-up truck yelling revolutionary chants to a crowd of kids. They repeat slogans like, "To heaven we will go as martyrs by the millions, to hell they will go the shabiha by the millions," "Leave, leave Bashar, curse you, Bashar," and "Free, free, freedom, the people want freedom."
Children spend half their days in classes and half their days playing outside or in their containers. Many of the Kilis camp residents came from tent camps in other parts of southern Turkey in March of last year. For many of the children, it has been nearly two years since they left their homes.
Mohammed is 15 years old. He uses his expertise in haircuts and beard trims in a barbershop he set up inside the camp. The shop is built of iron rods and cardboard and he uses an electric razor and other tools he brought with him from his hometown. He charges one to two Turkish liras for a haircut.
Amr, 8, drew a picture relaying what he saw on TV. On January 15, 87 people died in twin bombings at Aleppo University and dozens were injured. Amr's teacher, Dima, said he saw the image of a young man missing an arm on TV. He decided to draw that image for his picture of war-torn Syria.
In the cold of winter, adults and children alike sell small items in the camp for some pocket change. These girls are selling socks for 2TL a pair in the center of the camp. With the money, they can buy chocolates or other goods from another stand nearby, or use the cash to buy goods from outside the camp.
A freshly washed reusable diaper hangs to dry on a clothesline outside a container home. At the camp, a pack of 40 disposable diapers sells for 16TL, which is often beyond budget for many camp residents. To help ease the burden, some families use reusable diapers for their young children.
Zeineb, 12 (third from right), her siblings and her cousins all fled from Jisr Al Shughur together more than a year ago. Now, they live as neighbors at Kilis camp and spend their days in school or playing together. Zeineb says she wants to be a teacher someday, while her brother, Mohammed, 11, wants to be a doctor.
In an attempt to retain a semblance of normality, Syrian children attend a school that has been set up in a Turkish refugee camp.
In an attempt to retain a semblance of normality, Syrian children attend a school that has been set up in a Turkish refugee camp.
