Anfal Hassan

My name is Anfal Hassan, 13, and I am in seventh grade. I live in Syria for 3 years now. Before that I lived peacefully in Baghdad with my family in a big house. The area was called Al-dora. We are a big family. I have 4 sisters and 2 brothers in addition to my Mom and Dad. All of my sisters are ambitious.

After 2003 we face many problems, my dad got threats at his work office. And there was an attempt to kidnap my older sister as she was on the way to school. Her freind was kidnapped and the next day her family found her dead body thrwon in the street.

After that, we got frightened. We stopped going to school. And then we faced another, strange type of problem. Some group tried to divorce my Dad and Mom because they are from differed sects. Of course my parents didn't get divorced. But then there was no way we could have stayed there after that happened.

When we came to Syria I lost one year from school but I was able to get advanced and continue my level.

Now our live is difficult, my dad can't work and we are just kids can't do anything. We live on some assistance from UNHCR but it's not enough. The house we live in now is not healthy and has just one bed room. Although life is difficult, we continue to be hopeful and hoping for better tomorrow.

My ambition is to be inventor and my hobby is painting.