"When I grow up, I'm going to kill them all.". That's how Sami, a Christian boy barely eight years old, repeats himself after witnessing Islamic State do terrible things to his family members. When the Islamic State arrived in the Christian neighborhood of Mosul in the summer of 2014, many brutal murders and public executions took place.
Islamic State knocking on the door
One day, Islamic State (IS) jihadists knock on Sami and his family's door. IS quickly forces their way into the family home and threatens them at gunpoint, cursing them and calling them infidels and pigs. Unprovoked, the leader of the group pulls out a knife and slaughters Sami's beloved uncle and then rapes his wife while the children watch. Immediately after the incident, Sami, his parents and two younger siblings flee to Kalak, near the city of Erbil. At every checkpoint, the family witnesses IS fighters beating, discriminating and sexually assaulting fleeing Christians and other minorities. The children scream in fear and the parents feel powerless to protect their children from all this evil.
Families and Sami Get help
Sami and his family miraculously reach safety in Kalak with only the clothes on their backs. Sami's parents ask the local church for financial help, but they also ask for help for Sami because they can't help themselves due to their own trauma. The whole family receives emergency aid and Sami is able to attend the Christian kindergarten for traumatized children, which is run by our local Christian partner and supported by Danish European Mission donors.
When Sami arrives at kindergarten, he is shaking with fear and can't speak. Later, he starts behaving aggressively and has difficulty relating to others, both teachers and children. Sometimes he withdraws from others and sits quietly crying. After months of love and care from Christian teachers and educators, Sami can now smile again. The teachers say that Sami has become one of the most social and loving children in the kindergarten. He even talks about loving his enemies.
Refugee families who have lost everything, like Sami's family, need help to recover from the traumatic experiences inflicted by ISIS. You can help families by giving them what they need to survive.
- On average, it costs around 150 DKK to provide a refugee family with water, food, kitchenware, hygiene items and medicine for a week.
- On average, it costs around DKK 652 to ensure that a refugee family has water, food, kitchenware, hygiene items and medicine for a month.
Thank you for helping the Christians in need in Iraq.
