Photo, 2014
Marwan Zeno is born in July 1971 in Beirut. At the age of two, his family moves to the village of Binnish near Idlib in northwest Syria. Here, Marwan Zeno attends school and helps his parents with field work. At 17, he is conscripted for two years of military service. Afterwards, at 19, he goes to Damascus to work in a clothing store. In 2000, Marwan Zeno marries Iman; their son Ahmed is born in 2001 and daughter Sarah in 2003. In 2011, war breaks out in Syria. Marwan Zeno initially moves with his family to Beirut in Lebanon. In 2014, he decides to flee for several reasons, with the firm intention of bringing his family along later. They first return to Damascus, where Marwan Zeno’s escape route begins, leading him to the Turkish port city of Mersin. From there, he embarks on a dangerous journey across the Mediterranean. He pays $6,000 for the crossing. An additional 200 people are on board with Marwan Zeno. At times, there is only one date per person per day for food along with a small bottle of drinking water. The ship encounters distress at sea and is eventually rescued by the Italian coast guard. In total, Marwan Zeno spends twelve days at sea. His journey continues to Germany, where he ultimately finds a new home in Bremen. The photograph from 2014 shows Marwan Zeno (bottom right) just after being rescued by the Italian coast guard. The group photo captures the moment of solidarity among strangers who had to endure a difficult situation together. Relief is written on their faces.
