"ISIS had arrived to Sinjar’s surroundings, we were able to see the flashes of bullets at night and hear the clashes, we knew they were going to enter our city, so we left right away on 3/8/2014. We trusted Allah and left, we were very scared since we had to pass through their checkpoints on the road but they didn’t get in our way, we were neither fighters nor gunmen. We were seventy – Old men, women, young people, children and babies, and were all related. We took some available cars and left in an unbearable hot weather, it was August." After leaving his home town of Sinjar in August 2014, Muhammed found himself living in an unfinished building in Sitak, a small city close to Sulaimaniyah. With time on his side and helped by a small NGO, he started home schooling the 22 children living in the building.
26/01/15. Sitak, Iraq. Muhammed 23 yo. teaches inside the class room he has created at the unfinished building where him and 11 other families have been living since they left Sinjar in August 2014.
26/01/15. Sitak, Iraq. decorations on the class room's wall.
26/01/15 -- Sitak, Iraq -- Muhammed's mother (right) makes bread. Every few days the women make bread for all the families in the building.
01/02/15. Sitak, Iraq. A few gallons of petrol lay in the hallway. The petrol is used for the heaters, in the hard cold of the winter.
01/02/15. Sitak, Iraq. Muhammed during a break after teaching.
01/02/15. Sitak, Iraq. Muhammed aunt prepares lunch on the balcony of her house.
01/02/15. Sitak, Iraq. The view from the unfinished building.
01/02/15. Sitak, Iraq. Muhammed in his house prepares the floor for lunch.
01/02/15. Sitak, Iraq. Children play on an unfinished staircase inside the building where they have been living with their families since August 2014, when they escaped from Sinjar.
01/02/15. Sitak, Iraq. Children play on the rooftop of the unfinished building where they have been living with their families since August 2014, when they escaped from Sinjar.
17/02/15. Sulaimanyah, Iraq. Amer 29 Yo. - Muhammed's brother - works in Sulaimanyah in a chicken monger. Sitak is about 20 KM from Sulaimanyah. Amer goes tot work with a group of other young men who live in the same unfinished building. They work every day except for the Fridays.
17/02/15. Sitak, Iraq. Amer 29 Yo. Muhammed's brother bring food back to his family in Sitak after the day spent working in Sulaimaniyah.
22/05/2015. Sharbazher village, Iraq. Muhammed In Sharbazher villagebrings some food to his friends and family. He is helping his aunt to build a small house in a piece of land belonging to them.
22/05/2015. Sharbazher village, Iraq. Muhammed helps building a small house in his aunt's land.
22/05/2015. Sharbazher village. Muhammed prays before lunch.
22/05/2015. Sharbazher village. Tea break during the construction of a small house in a piece of land belonging to the aunt of Muhammed.