Darashakran Camp is so new that everything about it has a fresh, raw feel, from its bare graveled roads to its just-planted lines of saplings. But as spring covered the rolling countryside in Iraqi Kurdistan with a lush new green, residents of the six-month-old camp welcomed in the season with fresh smiles and moves of their own.
The beauty of this latest Pharrell cover is in how unadorned its expressions of joy are. There’s no glitz, no airbrushing, no special effects: just the pure glee of spring. With green stretching behind them out to the horizon, little girls twirl each other in circles, laughing, while boys show off their cartwheeling and leapfrogging skills. Meanwhile, who would have guessed that inside those identical white tents, the empty floor space can double as a dance floor, perfect for doing a hip, bopping two-step—or a cool handstand?
Darashakran is home to over 8,000 Syrian refugees, many of them Kurds, and the majority under 18, who were relocated there from other, overcrowded camps. “Life in the camp is of course not easy,” writes the video’s editor, who teamed up with its amateur director, a volunteer named Maiko. “But they are not only grieving. They celebrate their birthdays, or newborn babies, or someone’s wedding…They are really living their lives.”
For more information: Watch the video here.
15 comments
I can’t tell you how happy this makes me feel.. despite everything that’s happening to these amazing kids.. they’ve maintained their spirit and childhood fun. thanks for sharing this Jennifer.
All of us want Syria Like this..
yes
truly the most moving “happy ” yet
Amazing! Great job! This is what those kids needs. Joy and a way to express themselves away from morales and discipline.
Hope they’re blessed with happiness forever!! Hope – amongst all this tragedy… Truly Inspirational.
You are great! Keep going, you are the Syria future.
Yeah! Still going strong! Respect!
They deserve all the happiness and I really hope they dance happily in their homes next time instead of dancing in a camp. Love to each and everyone of them.
Go go guys. Believe in hope and better future
Yes!
HOW NICE . LOVELY PEOPLE …
They are full of life, joy and truthfulness. Those are our hope to rebuild what the tyrant destroyed in Syria.
This blew my heart wide open. Sending love and good wishes to all these lovely people and their families. May you be well and safe.