Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, has been dealing with a war for the past four years that has killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and displaced thousands more. As homes have turned into rubble and family possessions left behind and burned, the battle of Aleppo has ruined the lives of countless victims, fighting to find their voice and make the horrible events of the war known across the globe.
Seven year old Bana Alabed reached the goal of being heard worldwide by posting tweets of her everyday life during the war, instilling instilling hope and insight in those who view them, through the Twitter account @AlabenBana.
Bana tweets about her poor health, posts pictures of the life during the war, and shoots videos of the bombings. Through Twitter, she is able to document the fear and struggles her family and many others are currently experiencing in Aleppo— many have called her a modern Anne Frank.
“Message – we are on the run as many people killed right now in heavy bombardments. We are fighting for our lives. still with you,” tweeted Fatemah, the mother of Bana Alabed and manager/co-user of the Twitter account.
Fatemah’s career as a teacher allowed her to learn English and send tweets in the language, enabling them to become popular and spread throughout America and other western nations. As the war continues, her career has been placed on hold and Bana no longer goes to school.
Twitter is Bana’s only education as she practices her passion for writing and reading with the help of her mother.
Bana has sent around 700 tweets and gained over 236,000 followers since the account’s activation in September 2016. Her followers have stayed updated on the war and its effects through her tweets. They have watched as a war unfolds for a little girl who, along with her mother and siblings, have lost almost everything due to bombings.
The latest tweet, posted on December 14, reads: “Dear world, there’s intense bombing right now. Why are you silent? Why? Why? Why? Fear is killing me & my kids. – Fatemah”.
