RONÎDA HACÎ

Hasakah - Working in animal husbandry is not easy; you have to make a great effort to raise animals. The responsibility of taking care of animals is on the shoulders of women, and these women feed their animals with great effort. 55-year-old Asiya El-Semak, mother of nine, lives in the Qebir Şamiya village of Hasakah’s Til Temir town. She has five cows and 18 sheep and goats. These days, she has collected straws for her animals despite the burning sun due to high hay prices.

They keep the communal spirit alive

Stating the women in the village always help each other, Asiya El-Semak said, “I work in the fields so that my animals do not starve in winter. The women in the village always come to help me. The best thing in the village is the communal spirit. That's why village life is better than city life.”

She cares about her animals

Indicating that every villager has animals, she said, “Animal husbandry is the source of living in the village. We make cheese, yogurt and butter out of their milk. We also benefit from their wool. We use wool to make beds and quilts. I love my animals. When one of them gets sick, I also get sick.” 

High hay prices

Asiya El-Semak was collecting straws when we interviewed her. She told us that her animals would starve in winter if she did not collect straws in summer. “The hay prices are very high so we cannot buy them. We have to collect straws in summer to feed our animals in winter. We also use straws in the construction of our houses,” she said.

“Animal husbandry is the only source of living for many people living in rural areas and villages. We face many challenges when it rains less because there is not enough hay and their prices are very high. We are now collecting straws for our animals,” she added.