Dani Sakkal: My Visit to Syrian Refugee Camps
By Emily Spitzberg
This is my best friend, Dani Sakkal. Dani's parents met at the University of Florida in the 90s. His mom is American and his dad is Lebanese. Dani's father was once a refugee and had to seek refuge in Cyrus and even California to avoid the Lebanese Civil War. Since elementary school, Dani's father has lived in Jordan. Every summer, Dani travels to The Middle East to see his family there. After hearing about the blog, Redefining Refugee, I knew I had to reach out to Dani and inquire about his experiences traveling to the Middle East and interacting with refugees at their refugee camps.
Tell me a little about yourself and your Lebanese heritage.
I am raised in a bicultural family. My mom is American and my dad is Lebanese. My parents met in college, got married, and moved to Lebanon. My sister and I were both born there, but after the 9/11 attacks, right before I turned one, we moved back to the states. My mom, sister, and I have lived in the states ever since. I still go to Lebanon, Jordan, and Cyprus every summer. My whole dad's side of the family still lives there.
When did you go to the Lebanese refugee camps?
It was four or five years ago. That summer we were staying in Beqaa, which is near the border of Syria. We noticed a dramatic increase in the number of refugee camps that were there from families escaping Syria. Every summer, my grandparents give my sister and me money for missed birthdays, good grades- you know grandparent things. But, after my sister and I saw how many camps there were we went out and spent the money on toys for the children. In these camps, a lot of them are sponsored by organizations like Red Cross so they have a lot of their basic needs met, but, we really sympathized with them because of my dad. He grew up during the Lebanese Civil War. He had all his basic needs met - like food, water, and shelter. He had the family unit, but a lot of these children are robbed of their childhood because they are displaced. So, we wanted to focus our money on what a lot of these humanitarian organizations don't. These organizations definitely have their priorities straight and are doing the best they can, but kids deserve to grow up with toys, have fun, and use their imaginations. So we went out and literally bought out the toy store. We organized the toys into piles and divided the toys into garbage bags for each camp.
What was it like when you first arrived at each camp?
The second we pull up everyone started running up. Not only the kids, but the moms, the dads- everyone. It is so chaotic because they are not used to that. We had to limit it to one or two bags of toys per camp because if they saw that there were more toys in the car, they would not leave us alone for it. We had a lot of toys like Barbies, toy trucks, and things, but we also had things like soccer balls, tennis rackets, and tennis balls that make the families stay active. It was insane going there. It was very overwhelming, especially because I was younger back then. It was overwhelming seeing how they are living, but also the behavior of the refugees. The moms, dads, and kids had no problem grabbing something from your hands. It is very rare for something like this to happen, so they get really competitive. We tried to keep it organized and civil, so we would meet with the camp directors beforehand. It was an amazing experience.
What were the living conditions of the camps?
There are big white tents over large areas of land in the Beqaa Valley right next to the Syrian border. You can hear bombs and the war going right across the border. A lot of the refugees are not lucky enough to live in the camps because of their high demands, but the refugees that are able to are usually children, mothers, and families. They have their whole life there- they eat there, they sleep there, they socialize there, they do everything there. It's hard for them to find work. A lot of them work illegally on farms in the valley or wherever they can. They can leave and explore other opportunities. It is their home. The camps are set up on plots of land. Any houses that were there are made out of various materials, like discarded metals. In the camp, there is a dining area where they get a lot of help from the community and organizations.
Do they have a school for the children?
They have educational volunteers that come in, but they do not really have the conventional educational experience we have here. Volunteers do what they can, but their main priority is to survive.
What was your favorite part?
It was just so nice seeing the looks on their faces- they were so appreciative. They have such high spirits there.
What do you want the readers of this blog to know about the Middle East in general?
When I tell people I am going to Lebanon, people think I am going to the desert and riding camels, which you can do in the Middle East of course, but there is so much more to the Middle East than just that. There are more beautiful malls than here in Florida. It is so much more cosmopolitan than people realize. It is also important to know that while a lot of the Middle East consists of Muslim families, there are also a lot of Christian families, Jewish families, and families of all different backgrounds. It is more diverse than people think. Like when people think of Africa, not all of Africa is a safari. Not all of the Middle East is a desert. I wish people knew that more.
Do you have an organization in mind that you think is very beneficial to donate to?
The Lebanese Red Cross. A lot of times there are fundraisers that get a lot of attraction, but unfortunately, because the Lebanese government is so corrupt the money would have to go to them first before distribution. For example, this summer France offered international aid post-explosion, but the Lebanese government demanded that the money is funneled through them first. In my opinion, nongovernmental organizations are the best to donate to.
How has your Lebanese culture and this experience shaped you into the person you are?
I think it has given me a lot of perspective on our privilege in the US. The issues we have here versus the issues there makes me more grateful to be an American citizen. But also, seeing the resiliency and the spirit of the Lebanese people despite all of these bad things is really inspiring. I am grateful to be an American citizen and for the opportunities here, and at the same time, I am proud to be Lebanese. Lebanese people are resilient. So many basic needs are not met there, not only for the refugees but for the middle-class citizens too. You have to remember that Lebanon is a country that still doesn't always have electricity 24 hours a day. It is so badly polluted and has so many issues that we do not even think twice about here, like clean water and air quality. In the United States, if something is done wrong to you, you have the right and the resources to get justice, while they do not always have that privilege.
This blog is called "Redefining Refugee," as many people stereotype refugees. What would you say your definition of a refugee is after meeting refugees first hand?
The only thing that makes a refugee a refugee is the fact that they are escaping their home country for a reason. You and I can be refugees. Anybody can become a refugee. At the end of the day, it boils down to the hand of cards you were dealt in life, like where you ended up, where your family is from, and all of these things that are out of your control. The only thing that makes a refugee a refugee is the fact that they are displaced. Refugees are people that happen to be in these situations. Refugees are people.