SORGUL ŞÊXO

Hasekê – Hope and labor are side by side for women. İlham Yûsif Mihemed, who lives in the Hemra village of Hasekê’s Til Temir district, raises her three daughters and a son and she is the one who puts bread on the table for her family. She starts working in the early morning and stops working at night. İlham Yûsif is much known for being a hardworking woman in the village. It is harvest season in the village now and İlham Yûsif is much busier these days because she has to harvest only 10 acres of her land even if she planted her 50 acres of land. This year, she lost most of her crops due to drought and the water crisis in the country.

“This year, we have harvested wheat and rye but the rate of crops is very low because we lost most of our crops at the beginning of the spring. One of the reasons for this damage is infertility because Turkey cuts water from the Zirgan and Habur rivers. Moreover, the rainfall rate was very low this year. I planted 50 acres of land but I could only harvest 10 acres of my land. We have to make do with what we have,” İlham Yûsif said.

İlham Yûsif wakes up in the early morning to harvest her land. She has to walk two kilometers to harvest her crops. She told us that even if the soils are infertile, she has to collect hay for her animals. “We need at least one ton of straw to feed our animals in winter; we cannot buy straw because of its high price. We have to think of ourselves and our animals.”

“Kurdish women are strong”

İlham Yûsif only takes a break when she spends her time with her children. “You get used to working and it becomes a part of your life; you never get tired. I feel weird when I take a break. I care about my animals, work in the field and do housework alone. Kurdish women are strong women, and I do my best.”

“We have to live here”

The village of İlham Yûsif and the villages seized by Turkey are very close to each other. “They always seem like a threat to us. We are responsible for this land, we have to live here even if we fear or concern because this land is the land of our mothers and their mothers.”

“We plan what we should do in winter”

Peganum harmala, commonly called Syrian rue and harmel in Syria, grows in the village of İlham Yûsif. She has already collected harmel for winter. She and her children will use this plant in winter to make souvenirs. “Harmel is a part of our culture. For this reason, I want my children to learn how to make souvenirs using harmel. They can use the souvenirs in their house or give them to their neighbors.”