The civil war in Syria has seen scores of refugees crossing the sea to reach Europe- where they are not always welcome.
One family fled the Syrian capital Damascus over a year ago and in search of a new home, they made the trek down south, to South Africa.
Yaser and Safaa Jabri Al Rehawi have settled in Gauteng with their sons aged 16 and 20.
Safaa Jabri, describes the family’s plight, saying, "We ran away from Syria, because (the boys are at) the age they have to go (sic) into the army in Syria. So (we) decided to come to South Africa because (of the) dangerous situation in Syria."
Her husband, Yaser, adds: "It was very difficult to take this step to come here and settle down here and make a business here, you are afraid for your children, the culture is different but you have to keep them safe."
Hoping to add a bit of their flavour to a multi-cultural country, the Damascus family has opened a restaurant in the east of Johannesburg.
Safaa Jabri says, "We (have been) here for 14 months and decided to start our lives again. We used to invite lots of South African friends and they were excited about our style of food - so we decided to try this."
The family, like many others, has been torn apart by the civil war. They have lost many loved ones and have relatives scattered across several countries.
"A lot of people are dead but no one speaks about them by their names. They are like numbers and they forget they are human, have their own families, have their own lives and they left everything to live or save their families."
As the bombs continue to rain down on Syria, the prospects of returning home are slim. The Al Rehawi family misses Damascus but they are determined to turn their Jasmine restaurant into a pleasant reminder of home. (Source: SABC)
One family fled the Syrian capital Damascus over a year ago and in search of a new home, they made the trek down south, to South Africa.
Yaser and Safaa Jabri Al Rehawi have settled in Gauteng with their sons aged 16 and 20.
Safaa Jabri, describes the family’s plight, saying, "We ran away from Syria, because (the boys are at) the age they have to go (sic) into the army in Syria. So (we) decided to come to South Africa because (of the) dangerous situation in Syria."
Her husband, Yaser, adds: "It was very difficult to take this step to come here and settle down here and make a business here, you are afraid for your children, the culture is different but you have to keep them safe."
Hoping to add a bit of their flavour to a multi-cultural country, the Damascus family has opened a restaurant in the east of Johannesburg.
Safaa Jabri says, "We (have been) here for 14 months and decided to start our lives again. We used to invite lots of South African friends and they were excited about our style of food - so we decided to try this."
The family, like many others, has been torn apart by the civil war. They have lost many loved ones and have relatives scattered across several countries.
"A lot of people are dead but no one speaks about them by their names. They are like numbers and they forget they are human, have their own families, have their own lives and they left everything to live or save their families."
As the bombs continue to rain down on Syria, the prospects of returning home are slim. The Al Rehawi family misses Damascus but they are determined to turn their Jasmine restaurant into a pleasant reminder of home. (Source: SABC)
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