For Uighur children whose parents have disappeared in China, a boarding school near Instanbul, Turkey, has become a haven. 'We want them to know they belong to a family that's much bigger than the one they have lost,' says the school's founder.
By 8 a.m., the dormitory is buzzing. Boys, ages 9 to 16, stuff their backpacks with books and head to a full day of classes — first at a nearby Turkish public school, then back at the boarding school, finishing at dinnertime.
"I don't know how to answer that," he says."So I tell them my own family is missing and that I haven't seen them in five years."Izzatullah spends extra time with Nurzat, who hasn't seen his parents since he left China in 2014, when he was 5. To save their son from a massive crackdown on Uighurs in Xinjiang, his parents sent him to Egypt with family friends.
Kalbigul teaches English to Uighur students at the school."We want them to know there is an entire community behind them," she says.Kalbigul teaches English to Uighur students at the school."We want them to know there is an entire community behind them," she says."I felt like the Chinese authorities had evil plans for us, like they want to destroy our entire community," he says."I decided to move to a place where I could work for the interest of my people.
A boy plays with marbles in the courtyard of the boarding school. About 170 students attend courses including Uighur language and history, Quranic studies, art, science, computers and English.A boy plays with marbles in the courtyard of the boarding school. About 170 students attend courses including Uighur language and history, Quranic studies, art, science, computers and English."I kept meeting students who said they didn't have enough to eat," he says.
"We want them to know they belong to a family that's much bigger than the one they have lost," he says. "I just say that if you miss your mom, you can come to my home and I can cook for you any dish you want," she says. "Speaking our language together makes the children feel like they are somewhere like home," she says."It also makes them miss everything they have lost. ... Some of the children ask me, 'Do we have to say goodbye to our parents and our homeland forever?'"
A student walks in the middle of the basketball court after classes. while other students play basketball and soccer nearby.A student walks in the middle of the basketball court after classes. while other students play basketball and soccer nearby.One of those boys was Nurzat. The other two were his closest friends, Abdulla and Muhammet, who are brothers.
"My brother and I spoke to him a lot on WeChat," Abdulla says."But then he stopped answering our calls."
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