“My dad has been selling cigarettes all his life. When he passed away I took over his business. I used to work in the market but because the few tourists we have left, the store went out of business. Many of us feel the stress of the failing economy and everyone here is trying to survive. I don’t think we are currently prioritizing our health here in Tunisia. In fact, I think the reason why we smoke so much is because the amount of stress we have. Smoking is a way of coping.”

(Tunis, Tunisia)

More stories?

By buying this book you are directly contributing to the continuation of Humans of Amsterdam.

Get the book

See more

“When I met my ex-boyfriend, I believed that despite of the fact that he was religious and I wasn’t, our love was strong enough to keep the relationship going. I thought that if we make some compromises here and there we would manage. Unfortunately it became too much...

“My mother has diabetes and high blood pressure. Since I can remember I have been responsible for doing the dishes, cooking and cleaning the house. My dad was away a lot for work so I was the one taking care of my mother and brother. I had to grow up really fast. It...

“I study psychology. During the first days of my studies, they gave us an assignment where all the students had to talk to a complete stranger about their struggles. I remember walking around all day trying to find the courage to do so but I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready....