This testimonies are part of Respond’s Kurdish storytelling project. Visit the main project page here.
‘Teacher, I will learn Kurdish better.’
“One of the most beautiful things I remember about her was when she said, ‘Teacher, I will learn Kurdish better.’
They could not stay here. They said that Malatya was more beautiful than here and they did not want to stay here. There are many reasons for this. The biggest reason was that they were ‘Kurds.’ It made them feel helpless in this foreign city and it would also cause them to lose their own identity. Knowing that this would result in a horrible life, they could not stay here and returned to Malatya.”
- Jiyan, Kurmanji speaker and teacher in Bakur (name changed to protect privacy)