Nisrine
From Seddiqine, Sour/Tyre
"I brought all my memories with me; even my home is in my mind and imagination. I feel like it's right here with me."

Nisrine lived in her home with her husband and mother. She and her mother used to make their household mouneh (preserved seasonal foods) together, from kishk and za'atar to oil-cured aubergines, olives, and jams. Nisrine devotedly cared for her mother until she passed away. She still recalls the horrors of the 2024 escalation of Israeli war in Lebanon, when she and her husband were forced to flee their home on a motorcycle in the early hours of the morning, spending nearly 37 hours on the road before reaching a shelter in Hamra, Beirut. Just ten days before the latest escalation of war, Nisrine had bought new glassware and kitchen supplies, but she was forcibly displaced before getting the chance to use them. Even in displacement, Nisrine brought her mouneh from home and set aside a special spot for it in the school-turned-shelter in Jiyeh, Mount Lebanon – a piece of home and a symbol of hope for return. Several weeks ago, Nisrine returned to her village following the de-escalation in the south, but she is still unable to return to her home.