I think the books are very good for me – for my heart.
Habiba, Afghan refugee, Greece
Finding peace in books
Habiba fled Afghanistan alone with her two children after her husband was killed. Now they live in northern Greece, and books are helping her family begin to rebuild. This is her story.
“I have come from Afghanistan and I have two children. My son is five and my daughter is 10.
In my country there was war. My husband was not a soldier. He went out and he did not come back. Some people killed him.
And for my son – it was dangerous. People wanted to take him. So I had to leave, I had to find a safe place for the children.
I travelled through my country to Iran then to here. It was very hard to come so far and travel alone with two children.
We arrived in Greece four months ago. We stayed in Moira [the refugee reception centre on the island of Lesvos] for three months. It was very bad.
But now we have moved camps, things are more calm. This camp is very good – it is quiet and I can come to the library. It is a very good library.
Today I have borrowed two books – one for my son who is five years old. It is about Poppy Cat. The story is good for my son. I think for my children story books and alphabet books are good. These will help them learn English. The other book I have borrowed is for me. It is a book of poetry – it’s a great book.
These poems are very nice! I think the books are very good for me – for my heart. Books are very good for relaxation. When I lived in Afghanistan I had so many books in my library! I had many cook books.
You should send some cook books! I love cooking. I would like to learn to cook new things.
I have a lot of hope for my children’s future – that there will be no war. Just peace.”
You can help
With your support, we can share the power of books with more people like Habiba who have been forced from home.
Ways to help
From bake sales to corporate partnerships, there are many ways to support refugees.
Find out how