10th Anniversary Survivor Stories: Katrin

The Solitary Survivor

Before the genocide, life was happy and peaceful. I was the youngest child in my family and was close with all of my siblings. My older brother used to visit often and bring me gifts; my oldest sister was one of my best friends and looked out for me.

And then ISIS took them from me: my mother, father, three brothers, and two sisters.

Ten years later, there are no gifts. There is nobody to take care of me. And even after all this time, I still feel so alone.

Even though I survived, the pain of loss is so difficult that sometimes I cannot tell whether I am really alive. There is some solace in knowing I have other survivors to support me; but at times, their sorrow only deepens my own.

Others in my community have big dreams: to travel abroad, return to school, and find a meaningful job.

But the loss of my past has made it impossible for me to think about my future. And so, my dreams are simpler. I just want to see my family again, to be reunited, in a dream. Because even that fleeting moment would be better than this unending nightmare.

In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, Nadia’s Initiative is sharing a series of survivor stories to highlight the impact of the genocide at an individual level. While these stories are harrowing, they shine a light on the incredible resilience of survivors.