K.

اقرأ باللغة العربية أدناه

K. was raised in a struggling family and took on responsibilities from a young age. She is a self-made, ambitious, and energetic woman who completed her education while working in order to support her parents. Even though this was tiring, she wanted to prove to herself that women are as competent as men. She says that she’s had a maternal instinct since her childhood, as she was raised in a family where the eldest children were girls.  

When she was 17 years old, she met a guy who had also suffered in his life, like she did, and decided to marry him. However, she admits that her decision was hasty. Her husband was raised in an orphanage, and K. worked to support him to complete his education. However, as years passed by, she noticed that he was not a responsible person. On the contrary, he was an overdependent individual, unlike her. She had persevered to complete her education, raise her child, and provide for her household without his support. 

Disagreements built up between K. and her husband and she decided to leave him. Her parents did not support her in raising her child, as they believed that this was his father’s responsibility. Because K. was working, she was forced to temporarily give up the custody of her child in favor of her ex-husband’s family, who denied her the right to see him. Eventually, she managed to regain her right to see her child. At a later stage, K. remarried her ex-husband for a whole year, during which she got pregnant with their second child. At that time, she believed that he had changed, but the marital problems increased between them. During that period, she was volunteering with UNIFIL in the south. She lived there for a while, before moving back to Beirut. As she was mostly independent, she decided to divorce once again and raise her two children alone.  

K. met an older man who was supporting her in paying for her children’s expenses. She later married him. However, this did not end her suffering, as she endured his family's interference and mistreatment. She was patient, particularly because her husband was nice to her children. After his death, K. was forced to repay his debt. She worked in the automobile repair shop that her late husband owned, after regaining its ownership from his family. She learnt how to do the job. K. shares that she faced a lot of intimidation at work, which is considered a men’s field. She was also subjected to harassment on several occasions, but defended herself. “I used to beat up whoever came close.”

K. mentioned that her children have grown up and completed their education; some have travelled abroad and got married. She says: “Even if I were a mountain, I would have collapsed. But God gave me the strength to.” K. wishes that all women are given the patience, power, and ability to resist against the hardship of life.  

تربّت خ. في أسرة مكافحة، وتحمّلت فيها المسؤولية منذ نعومة أظافرها، هي امرأة عصامية وطموحة ونشيطة، تعلّمت وعملت في الآن نفسه لتساعد أهلها، ورغم التعب فضّلت أن تثبت لنفسها أن المرأة ليست أبداً دون الرجل. تقول إن غريزة الأمومة زُرعت فيها منذ الطفولة، فقد ترعرعت في أسرة تكبر البنات فيها الصبيان 

في عمر السابعة عشر تعرّفت على شخص رأت فيه انعكاساً لمعاناتها فقررت أن تكمل معه حياتها، لكن تقول أن خيارها كان متسرعاً. تربى في دار للأيتام، وعملت خ. لتساعده على متابعة تعليمه، لكنها مع مرور السنوات انتبهت إلى أنه لم يكن على قدر المسؤولية، بل كان اتكالياً، بعكسها هي التي ثابرت على تحصيل علمها وتربية طفلها وإعالة بيتها دون مساندته 

تراكمت الخلافات بينهما حتى قررت خ. الانفصال عنه. لم يقف ذويها إلى جانبها في تربية طفلها، فقد اعتبروا أن للوالد مسؤولية تجاه طفله لا بد له من تحملها. اضطرت خ. بحكم عملها إلى التخلي مؤقتاً عن حضانة ابنها لصالح عائلة طليقها التي حرمتها حق الرؤية حتى استطاعت بعد معاناة استرجاع حقها. في وقت لاحق، عادت خ. لطليقها طيلة سنة، حملت خلالها بطفلها الثاني، وظنّت حينها أن الحال قد تبدّل، إلا أن المشاكل الزوجية زادت بينهما. كانت آنذاك تعمل كمتطوعة مع (قوة الأمم المتحدة المؤقتة في لبنان) في الجنوب، حيث استقرت لفترة من الزمن قبل عودتها إلى بيروت، كانت معتمدة على نفسها بشكل كبير، فقررت الطلاق مجدداً وتربية طفليها وحيدة 

 
تعرّفت خ. على رجل يكبرها سناً، كان يقدّم لها المعونة في مصاريف طفليها، تزوّجته لاحقاً، لكن معانتها لم تنته وتحمّلت تدخلات عائلته وسوء معاملتهم. صابرت وصمدت، لا سيّما أن زوجها كان عطوفاً على الولدين. بعد وفاته، اضطرت خ. لتسديد ديونه، فعملت في محل ميكانيك السيارات الذي كان يملكه زوجها، وحاربت عائلته لتستعيد ملكيته،” تعلّمت المصلحة“، تقول خ.، وتبوح أنها تعرضت للكثير من المضايقات في مجال عملها المحتكر من الرجال، تعرّضت للتحرش في مرات عديدة، وكانت تدافع عن نفسها،” كنت إضرب يلي بيقرب منّي!“ تقول خ. كبر أولادها وتعلموا، ومنهم من سافر وتزوّج، تقول: ”لو كنت جبل كان وقع بس الله عطاني القوة“. تتمنى خ. للنساء الصبر والقوّة والقدرة على الصمود

Writer

Zeinab Hajj Hassan

I am Zeinab Hajj Hassan, 27 years old, I'm a freelancer writer and journalist. I also work writing articles for a news website.

Photographer

Rita Kabalan

Rita Kabalan is a Lebanese-American photojournalist based in Beirut. Her work has been published in Foreign Policy, Middle East Eye, The Public Source, Al Jazeera English, and other outlets.

Link : http://www.ritakabalan.com/