Twins Jannat and Amr, 7, and Karam, 4, have faced more violence and danger than any child ever should. But throughout their three year journey from the battleground city of Homs, Syria to refuge in Berlin their parents Khalid and Amira went to incredible lengths to safeguard their physical and mental wellbeing.
Khalid and his wife supported each other at every step. In Lebanon, they didn’t want their children to miss out on school so they started a new one. When the school was shut down by authorities after two years, the parents knew they had to keep moving.
And as they travelled by land and sea along the treacherous route to Europe, Khalid and Amira kept their children smiling: they called the journey a ‘family trip’ and took photos along the way to reassure their children that they were safe.
“I gathered all of the power I had to protect them,” said Khalid, pulling outstretched hands towards his heart.
Now, he can look to the future: “I want my kids to be successful. I want them to do something they’re passionate about, because they’ll be good at that. We’re exploring what those passions are now with them.”
Abo protected his family from shelling in Yemen