Shergo – An Artist’s Path to Europe

Day 02, Germany

Last weekend we had the pleasure to spend a whole afternoon with Shergo and his family. Do you remember them? We met in 2016 in a refugee camp in Gevgelija near the Macedonian/Serbian border. When getting to know each other in the camp, Shergo showed us his drawings tucked away in the container where he lived for the time being. While we went through his artwork in awe, his daughter Avin told us that the camp feels like a prison to her because nobody was allowed to leave.

Now, the family lives together with eight other families in a house in Germany, where they are waiting for the result of their asylum procedures. When we asked them to compare their situation now to their life back in the Macedonian camp, Shergo said he felt as if not much had changed yet; their physical journey may be over but they’re still waiting to restart their life. They left Syria back in 2014, so it has been five years now without a proper place that they can call home.

Timo and me were not only invited to two rounds of tea, but Shergo also played some music and his wife prepared a huge meal that we were invited to. Over dinner, Shergo’s daughter Avin shared some great news with us. She married last year and now calls a very fine man by the name of Hussein her husband. They lived in the same village back in Syria and met again by chance here in Germany. They’re also expecting a son in April.

And Shergo kept on drawing. He was proud to show us over 150 of his art pieces. According to him, making art has helped him to keep a clean and happy heart throughout his journey. All his emotions and events are processed on paper. He is looking to share his drawings with a wide audience and would love to be invited for an art exhibition.

One of our most memorable moments during our visit was when we asked them about their home in Syria. Unfortunately, a recent video of their home on Shergo’s phone showed us all but a bunch of gravel. A prayer rug woven by Shergo’s mum is the single item that the whole family still owns from their home. Everything else of their original material possessions is gone.

Despite these emotional stories and experiences, Timo and I felt as welcome as in the house of long-lost relatives. They were very glad to see us again and treated us very warm-hearted. We left after food, music, tea, and stories, and already made plans to see each other again soon. Timo is also currently working with Shergo to look for alternative venues to publish his art work. We will keep you posted!

Read up on our initial meeting with Shergo and his family here: http://blog.refugeeroads.com/blog/the-mother-theresas-of-macedonia/

From the road,

Florian