Encounters: An Interview with Reem Yasouf
Encounter with Reem Yasouf by Fevered Sleep, 2020. Photo by Joanne Verity.
Encounters at Clifton Green is part of The Institute of Everything, a collaboration between Clifton Green Primary School and Fevered Sleep. The Institute of Everything is a new space in the school, which invites open-ended learning and thinking in all sorts of creative and playful ways.
The purpose of these encounters is to introduce the school community to different ways of being; different perspectives on the world; and different points of view.
We’re inviting all kinds of people to have a conversation about their lives with an audience drawn from the school community: children, teachers, school staff and parents.
Our first Encounter at the school was with Reem Yasouf on 4 February before the Covid-19 quarantine began. We interviewed her shortly afterwards about her experience and story in order to share it here on our blog.
Can you tell us about what you shared in your encounter at Clifton Green Primary School?
The house Reem shared with her parents in Aleppo after the war began
Yes, first I shared pictures of my city Aleppo, Syria before and after the war. This was to give the audience an idea of our lives and how it changed during the war. Actually during the war life became hard, especially when we felt that the danger was becoming extreme.
We had to move house to a much safer area and during winter it was very cold and there was no electricity, no heating system, no water and at certain times there was no food. We lived in this situation for 4 years, then my husband got a visa to UK while I stayed with the children in Syria for 6 months. Then we travelled from Aleppo to Beirut in Lebanon by car through burned and destroyed villages which took around 10 hours when normally it should have only 3 hours.
We were in very bad shape that we were astonished to see traffic lights and street lights. Then we waited for 12 days and got a visa to UK. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t give them all the details because actually for the children at that time. I don’t want to say everything but yes it was a very difficult 4 years to live and I am so glad that we were able to overcome this challenge.
Did you have a lot of friends and family who weren’t as lucky as you were?
Actually yes, many of my friends can leave Aleppo before me. None of them are here in the UK, most of them have gone to Germany or to Netherlands, different places. I wish any of my friends lived here with me. But no one can get visa to the UK - it was very difficult actually and I still remember it was a miracle to get a visa and come to UK. It was a little bit easier from the other places for the language, we all learn English, we know how to speak English even if it’s a little bit difficult for us to speak in good grammar. But actually it’s much easier from other places. So we are lucky yes, we are.
Images of Aleppo, Syria in 2013 and 2011.
How did it make you feel sharing your story with the children and their parents?
Actually I was relieved that I was able to share my story amongst the Clifton Green community. The atmosphere was very friendly and kind so I had no pressure and was confident throughout. Actually when I started working in Clifton Green that changed my life, very good, amazing school. All the staff, everything inside is very good. That gave me a confidence and I was very happy to share with them.
I felt very happy when people listened to my story and I could see everyone was engaged, sharing emotions. I felt that the community made me feel welcomed and were very warm hearted. And changed my life.
They changed my life because before I came here, in Aleppo I studied economics and I worked in accounting for 18 years in a big company, but suddenly for me as a woman it’s not usual for me to stay at home without anything to do.
When I came here first year it was very very difficult, no work, nothing to do, I couldn’t speak English, I couldn’t recognise the street, anything because all the houses the same, everything the same for me. It was too hard for me. When I started working that absolutely made me feel like I came back to life, you know what I mean. Especially Clifton Green, they are very welcome, they are very kind.
Encounter with Reem Yasouf by Fevered Sleep, 2020. Photo by Joanne Verity.
Did the people who came to see your encounter know your story?
They didn’t know, and all the teachers told me because I am always happy, always smiley faced, so none of them believed it is my story. I think I always want to be smiley faced not to let the others know what I have difficult in my life. That’s much better I think for me and for them.
Did it feel freeing?
Yes, they make you very comfortable, its very easy to tell them your story, they can understand what has happened to you and they make me feel like I am with my family again.
What do you think we can gain from sharing our stories with each other?
Actually many people go through different situations in their lifetime and there are uncountable number of problems that people face everyday, meaning by sharing our stories and experience together we can learn and adapt to many of these problems and we can always show the support to those who need it.
When I start this work I start with the council to help the families that came from Syria, help children in the school because they couldn’t speak English or understand English and that made me feel very happy because when you can help people it gives you a very very good feeling.
We are interviewing you during lockdown for Covid-19, can you tell us a bit about how it’s affected you? Do you think your experience has altered the way you have approached this pandemic?
Actually yes, sadly the lockdown has decreased my working hours, however it is understandable that it’s for the safety of people and to help support the NHS. But definitely we still working even if it’s not all the time, but sometimes we can go to school and give the support and actually my experience of the war has a big role of how I have approached this pandemic.
Back in Syria staying inside was a big problem as stuff that was essential such as food, water, electricity and safety were not provided. This was and still is a big challenge to face, however here in England this is not a problem and people should feel very lucky as many people around the world are living in poor conditions.
Yesterday and today the weather is very nice, so you can go for walking or for shopping or even if you want to stay at home everything is provided so that’s good. And actually always I have learnt something in life which is when life changed to be harder, we must change ourselves to be stronger. And this is my life, it’s like a circle. Sometimes up, sometimes down.