Wurood, 13, Haneen, 11, Zaynab, 9, Rabab, 8, Hassan, 7, Abbas, 5, & Sajjad, 4

“Our mother had cancer and passed away three years ago. We didn’t get to spend too much time with her when we were younger, because she was always in the hospital because of her illness. Our father was an old man, and he was blind. But he used to take good care of us. He didn’t have a job because no one would hire him since he was old and blind. So, he used to go to the landfills to see if he could find something valuable to sell. One of us always went with him because he couldn’t see. That’s how he used to bring money home. He used to make about seven dollars on the days he found something valuable like metal pieces. That’s how he was able to take care of us. One day, he came home and fell asleep right away. He was very tired that day. In the morning, we were waiting for him to wake up, but he never did. He passed away six months ago.

“When he died, we didn’t know what to do with his body. We didn’t have any money to buy him a grave. So, our neighbors came, took his body, and buried him. We can’t even visit his grave, because we don’t know where he is buried.

“Now we live with our grandmother in this mud house that can be demolished at any time. Our grandmother is very old. She is scared for us because she says she will suddenly pass away, and we will be left alone without a home and without anyone to care for us. We can’t go and look for work because we are still very young. No one will hire us. So, we go to the same landfill my father used to go to and look for things we can sell just like he did.

“We want the world to know that we are living like we are dead. This is not what we call ‘life.’ We lost the most beautiful part of life, and that is the blessing of having parents. Our struggles are like mountains.

“We miss our father very much, especially because he used to take care of us. He used to bring us food. Sometimes we stay without food for three days at a time. During the summer time, we never have any water to drink. We can’t afford it. Now we live with our grandmother in this mud house, but she is very old. She is scared for us because she says she will suddenly pass away, and we will be left alone without a home.

“When we feel lonely and sad, we always go to the landfill my father used to search in. We go and stand there for some time. We talk about our memories with him, and how we used to be hopeful that one day we will have a home because our father worked really hard. But all  these hopes and dreams died when he left us.”

The above represents one of many orphan stories by victims in war-torn regions. Your support can make a difference for orphans like Wurood and her siblings. Make a contribution today by clicking here.