The sad story of Yasmin

Yasmin a 32 year old mother was planning for a better future for her two children; Shirin and Ahamd. Her house was destroyed after regime warplanes targeted it. Her husband was killed. After long months of suffering and waiting she decided to leave Syria. 

The trip started from Turkey where they arrived with some family members. Her sister and brother in law with their three children. 

The family worked in a tailor’s workshop to collect money for their trip. After six month and with help of some relatives in Germany they managed to collect the money needed for their trip. Their first trip wasn’t a successful one after the smuggler who locked them up in the back of a lorry fled away after he deceived them pretending to be crossing Bulgaria while they were in fact roaming the vicinity of Istanbul. 

Yasmin’s second attempt was carried out after 3 months when they went to the city of Izmir and boarded a dinghy heading towards the Greek shores. 

The day of the trip, the family accompanied by 30 other refugees sat off at 5 o’clock in the morning hoping not be seen by the Turkish coast guards. 

After crossing 50 meters the smuggler told them that motor has broken out and they have to use their hands. Minutes later a big wave hit their dinghy and turned it upside down. 

Yasmin held her two children and tried to resist the strong waves but she couldn’t resist any longer. 

Ahamd and Shirin were driven away by a strong wave while Yasmin held a small bottle of water that helped her float. She kept screaming and shouting trying to reach her children who went down to the bottom of the sea.