People On the Move, Suspended Futures

Rana, 32, was working as a teacher in Homs, Syria, when the sounds of war reached the door of her classroom. One morning, seeing the fear in her students’ eyes, she realized she could no longer stay. When she arrived in Türkiye with her family, she hadn’t just left behind a profession — she had left behind a part of her identity.

Starting over in a new country, in a society whose language she didn’t speak, was not easy. For a long time, she stayed quiet, avoided going out, and withdrew into herself — until a neighbor in her community invited her to the activities supported by the Association for Social Development and Aid Mobilization (ASAM).

On her first day, she saw women in the room looking at one another with hope. In that moment, she felt she had found a place where the war had faded into a distant memory. Through the sewing workshops she joined, she gained new skills and discovered the comfort that comes from creating and sharing again. With every activity, she found herself anew within a different story.

Rana is a mother of three — two sons and a daughter. She says that as she began to feel better, this change reflected on her family as well. ‘I used to look at my children with a tired face,’ she says. ‘Now we laugh together, we talk, and I even teach them what I’ve learned. As I grow stronger, the atmosphere in our home changes too.

Today, Rana is someone who supports those around her and guides women who have newly arrived. ‘There was a time when I had withdrawn into myself, but now I can express myself,’ she says. ‘Because here, I found a place where my voice is valued. We women are mirrors for one another; one person’s smile becomes a remedy for all of us, and we heal together.

(Note: The real name of the beneficiary has been changed.)