“I had everything,” says Ragda. “A house, a car, nice clothing—everything.”

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Her husband, Omar, worked in the construction business in Aleppo. They enjoyed a peaceful life and some success in the city, creating a comfortable home for their children. Leaving Aleppo was a difficult decision but a fortuitous one—three days after they abandoned their house, it was destroyed by bombs.

“But my husband can build a house out of nothing,” Ragda adds.

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Shortly after the family’s arrival at a refugee camp in Greece, their simple tent dwelling began to transform, gaining first one room and then another. Then it featured a garden and a wooden door. Though Ragda and Omar didn’t expect to be stranded there through three seasons and the birth of another child, they’d done their best to create a home.

 

Photo & Story: Allison Voigts