EBÎR MUHEMED

 Dêrîk- 60-year-old Teybet Xalid, who lives in the village of Girkê Selma, located in the Dêrîk city of North and East Syria, says they protect nature by planting poplar trees that raise hopes.

 She began her speech by telling the history of the village. “In the past, the village was controlled by France. Then, Kurds and Christians, the real owners of the village, lived together. Our family has lived in this village for years. There is an ancient historical site called ‘Girê Til Mircanê’ in our village. It is said that this hill was the palace of a king; he had a daughter named Selma and the village was named after his daughter. Our village has four cold seasons so some say that Girkê Selma means cold and ice. There is a river running through the village, that’s why our village is cold.”

 ‘Wells have been dried up’

The climate change also affects the village, “Many wells in the village have been dried up due to lack of rain. A stream called Ingbêrê used to run in front of our house; the villagers used its water for the irrigation of fruits and vegetables. There were many fountains such as Emîr Ezîz fountain, Til Mircanê fountain, women’s fountain and men’s fountain. We had water to plant and grow rice, cotton and sesame,” she told us.

The village is famous for its poplar trees. You can see poplar trees everywhere. “You have to plant poplar trees near the river because poplar trees need water to grow in three or four years. Before, people used poplar trees to build their houses. We make tables, chairs and many other products from poplar trees.”