My independence and autonomy are up to me
unhcrgreece
Description
Zainab arrived in Thessaloniki, Greece from Iraq with her sister, Sumar, and her 12-year-old daughter, Mallak. For the past decade, she has been using a wheelchair after an armed attack in her hair salon back home that left her with severe spinal injuries. In her journey from her homeland Zainab faced challenges, but her family helped her reach safety. Since arriving in Greece her daughter Mallak has been excelling in high school and dreams of becoming an interpreter, as she has a passion for foreign languages, or a police officer to be able to help people. Zainab is supported by UNHCR’s partner, the REACT programme led by the Municipality of Thessaloniki, as well as by NGOs ARSIS and Praksis. But, as she says, the integration opportunities are limited and the needs to have access to more adapted medical support and rehabilitation assistance are great. “This doesn’t prevent me from dreaming of opening my own hair salon again,” she adds. “My independence and autonomy are both up to me.”
Metadata
Published to Youtube on: 03/12/2020
Archived on: 08/10/2025
Original URL (may no longer be available): https://youtube.com/watch?v=eL2AkdUvhPY