As a refugee herself who has experienced the fear of war, Widad believes there’s no other choice than building peaceful and inclusive societies. © UNHCR Cyprus/Sebastian Rich
Widad Al Banna is a Palestinian from Gaza strip who fled to Cyprus with her husband and three children six years ago to find safety from the war. Today, they live in Cyprus as recognised refugees.
“My children never got to know what a peaceful life actually means, and we have lost close family members and friends from the years of the conflict.”
But the decision to leave one’s home and surroundings is not one that comes lightly.
“We always delayed our decision to leave. My father and mother, my relatives were all there. It’s not easy to leave everything behind.”
A holder of a BSc in Medical Laboratory Science, Widad worked in several public hospitals back home. Her parents and siblings are all well–educated with secure jobs and some own their own business.
But when the seven-week conflict in 2014 occurred, one of the deadliest conflicts between the Palestinians and Israel in decades that resulted in thousands of deaths, Widad, with her husband and three children took the decision to leave.
The deciding moment for the family came when the neighbour’s house was ruined from the airstrikes, which by pure luck did not destroy Widad’s house.
“At that moment, my younger daughter, who was three years old at the time, turned to me and told me with all the innocence of this age: Mum I want to leave; I don’t want to stay here in Gaza. I want to go to a safe place”.
“We said enough is enough, we need a safe country.”
The deteriorating living conditions in Gaza, including lack of direct access to clean water and severe power shortages, had also been factored in the family’s decision to leave.
“Access to electricity is restricted – imagine what it means to live with electricity only four hours daily. The water is not clean, the atmosphere is polluted. The living conditions for the children were deteriorating,” she says.
“And I think Cyprus is a safe place for our children.”
Widad Al Banna is a Palestinian from Gaza strip who fled to Cyprus with her husband and three children six years ago to find safety from the war. © UNHCR Cyprus/Sebastian Rich
Widad also volunteers through UNHCR’s Refugee Outreach Volunteer Program offering help and advice to other refugees in Cyprus. © UNHCR Cyprus/Sebastian Rich
Widad is currently pursuing an MBA program at the European University of Cyprus, after winning a scholarship from a training program she attended. © UNHCR Cyprus/Sebastian Rich
Her children attend public school, and speak and write perfectly in Greek. One of her sons excels in Maths and the counsellor at school has advised him to pursue Maths studies. “But he has already decided that he wants to study Economics and Business and become one day a businessman,” Widad says with a warm smile.
Widad has consistently tried to find work since coming to Cyprus. While her degree has been accredited by the competent authority in Cyprus, KYSATS, her efforts to find a job either in her field or in any other sector of the economy have not born fruit yet.
But she doesn’t lose hope. She continues looking for a job while also continuing her education and learning new skills. Widad is currently pursuing an MBA program at the European University of Cyprus, after winning a scholarship from a training program she attended. At the same time she carries on with other training courses to further enrich her skills while she volunteers through UNHCR’s Refugee Outreach Volunteer Program to help address other refugees’ predicaments.
“From the first day I arrived in Cyprus I knew that I’d face challenges but I decided to meet every challenge with confidence, keep trying until I find solutions and accept success and failures as part of life’s journey.
Through the volunteer work, initially at CARITAS and now with UNHCR, I have gained a deeper understanding into the processes that refugees face daily.
It feels great to be able to help refugees who left everything behind, family and friends, to build new lives.”
A dynamic personality with a focus on producing results she would like to push for the financial empowerment of refugees, with concrete ideas to this end.
“We could form a refugee club where asylum-seekers and refugees with craftsman skills can bring to life handmade products, from broidery to carpentry, and sell them in the market, online and once the pandemic is over at bazaars. I meet a lot of refugees with craftsman skills which they could put into good use and regain economic independence,” she explains.
As a realist she acknowledges the several obstacles involved in the implementation of such a project but firmly believes that there are ways to overcome them.
And as a refugee who has experienced the fear of war, she believes there’s no other choice than building peaceful and inclusive societies if returning home is not a viable option: “Peace and harmony are needed among people to make this world a better place for everyone to live in. I believe that refugees and locals can live together and work together to make this country a better place for everyone to live in.”
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