The family is originally from Aleppo in Syria and fled the war in 2014. At the moment they stay on a farm near Kemer (44 km away). The father works on the farm harvesting fruits. The job gets the family shelter and a little extra money, but not much. Soon they will move into an apartment, and the father will try to find a better job. The kids will also be able to start going to school this year, something they haven’t done before. Kemer town is in the Area of Antalya – refugees are not welcome/allowed there, so it was very difficult for them to get kimliq cards (Turkish IDs). Two of the children suffers from Haemophilia A, so they need to be near a hospital. Fortunately, treatment for the two has been arranged through UNICEF, so they will visit a hospital weekly for free.
Medical Issues:
Khaled and Salam, as well as their father, suffer from Haemophilia A. Hemophilia A, also known as factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency or classic hemophilia, is a genetic disorder caused by missing or defective factor VIII, a clotting protein. Although it is passed down from parents to children, about 1/3 of cases are caused by a spontaneous mutation. The treatment for the children is about 200 USD per child monthly. If it weren’t for the help from UNICEF, the family likely wouldn’t be able to afford it.
Needed support:
Monthly Rent:
The father will look for an apartment/house in Mugla (a city with about 100.000 inhabitants). The rent should be maximum 600 TL (including all other costs like electricity and water), or about 170 USD.
Education:
None of the children can read or write, so going to a Turkish school is very important. At the moment all of the kids will start soon, but it’s unclear if they will be able to continue to afford it unless the father can find a steady job.
Business support:
Though there are no clear plans, the father may decide to start his own business. If he chooses to do so, he will likely need a loan from ARC.
ARC is working in collaboration with volunteer Stefanie Ziervogl to help Abd and his family. To learn more about the Al Darwish family, please contact Stefanie at