My name is Mazin and I am 12 years old. I live with my parents, my five brothers and my sister in the village of Khanke in northern Iraq. There we live together in an old building complex. The house is not finished yet. So we live here without windows and doors. We put them up with tarpaulins and blankets. It is not only windy but also noisy and leaky. It is always uncomfortable with us. We suffer a lot from the difficult living conditions. My father works as a carpenter and my mother is a housewife. Therefore, money is also scarce. In addition, we are constantly afraid that we will have to leave the apartment because it will be finished and sold.

In my home region of Shingal, we had a nice life with our friends, neighbors and relatives. We had land, my father grew fruits and vegetables. We had enough money for a nice life.

When the Islamic State fighters attacked our villages in August 2014, we first fled to the nearby mountains. From there, we continued via Syria to Kurdistan. The others sometimes tell me about that time. I was there, but fortunately I don't remember much. I don't want to talk about it either. It scares me too much.

I am very happy to be able to visit the Harman Education Center of Our Bridge. There we are supported in various areas. I like sports, art and different games the most. I can always ride my bike here. It is really fun.

I dream of being able to become a famous soccer player later.