A touch of green soothes war-weary souls in camps

The Green Project has brought a whiff of fresh air to the residents of the Qushtapa refugee camp

The Green Project, spearheaded by Rise Foundation volunteer Gaia de Battista, enabled the distribution of 150 olive and 100 mixed olive and fig saplings to refugee families. Courtesy Nils Henrik

Last week a delivery of trees brought a touch of green to one of the Kurdistan Region’s more desolate Syrian refugee camps. Qushtapa camp sits on the outskirts of its namesake village, 20 kilometres south of Erbil, and is home to more than 3,800 Kurdish Syrian refugees.

The Green Project, spearheaded by Rise Foundation volunteer Gaia de Battista, enabled the distribution of 150 olive and 100 mixed olive and fig saplings to refugee families.

Rows of young olive trees now line the paths of Qushtapa camp, an attempt to improve the quality of life of the camp’s residents. “My daughter loves the tree we have planted,” said Bahar, a Kurdish mother from Al Malikiyah.

Her four-year-old daughter stopped talking after a blast destroyed the family home in Damascus and killed her father. Bahar said that the olive tree had caught the young girl’s attention and was a welcome distraction for her child.

The project is not only for aesthetic reasons. Having access to trees has been proven to improve psychological well-being, according to Ms De Battista.

A number of experts have concluded that green spaces can lead to significant improvement in mental and physical health.

“Psychologically, we are unwell,” said a mother of two from the largely Kurdish Syrian city of Al Ma’badah. The young woman, who asked to remain anonymous, was pleased with the initiative.

She described the arrival of the trees and the planting process as a much-needed break from their monotonous routine.

Many refugees are unable to leave the camp or find work. “This project gives the families a point of focus, something to take care of at a time when purpose, entertainment and employment are scares in their lives,” said Ms De Battista.

While the trees cannot cure the boredom, they provide the families with a few minutes of respite.

One elderly woman was particularly enthusiastic about the project.

Hunched over a pan of peeled potatoes, Zaynab from Al Ma’badah signalled towards her newly planted tree, which was neatly encircled by stones.

Zaynab and her family reached Qushtapa six months ago, when approximately 10,000 refugees crossed the Peshkhabour border into Iraqi Kurdistan, in a mass influx triggered by a sudden spike in violence in Syria.

“We were very happy to receive the tree, especially the children. We would like more trees and flowers,” she said as a young girl from the neighbouring tent attempted to pull at the frail sapling’s branches.

While a number of refugees initially worried about the lack of water, Zaynab smiled and shook her head. “Water is not a problem, if I can drink a gallon of water a day, so can the tree. It is like my family,” she said. The trees also line the camp’s kindergarten ground, providing a form of entertainment and study for the numerous children who attend the school.

“The children were really excited. When we visited the kindergarten there was a little gaggle of kids watering the tree.

“This is exactly what we wanted, we wanted to get the children engaged in this as well as get them around trees and greenery,” explained Ms De Battista.

In a conflict where there is no end in sight, the trees will continue to provide an unexpected source of relief for a community of Syrian refugees that is likely to remain consigned to an uncertain future for years to come. “In the future there will be olives and figs – we would like the whole area to be planted with trees and flowers,” hoped Bahar.

While the camp’s ground remains largely covered by dusty terrain, a source of concern as the region’s hot summer approaches, the trees planted by Rise Foundation have opened the door to an unusual yet seemingly efficient way of treating trauma.

The project is set to reach other camps throughout the region, in an effort to give as many refugees as possible the opportunity to benefit from the positive effects of a green space and ultimately to leave behind a positive legacy when they return home.

Sofia Barbarani is a journalist working for Bas News in Iraqi Kurdistan

On Twitter: @SofiaBarbarani