Meet Rajab. He was a door and window supplier in Iraq, before being forced to flee to Turkey. When we spoke with him, he told us, “ I just want to get back home, back to normal life. Everything, my house, my car, my job, it’s all back in Iraq.†Then he introduced us to his son. “This is my son, Hamed. He’s 6. He likes playing in the house just like any other kid. He’s at the age to go to school now, but he doesn’t want to go yet, so he stays home with me.”
Suud was a policeman when he lived in Iraq. Now he is in Turkey with his 9 family members. When he lived in Iraq he got a degree in Business Management. He enjoys reading about history and religion. He also added, “ I would like to thank you for your efforts in supporting us.â€
Asmaa and her family receive aid from our program in Turkey. She is a housewife and loves to keep everything tidy. Because her family cannot return to Iraq, she hopes they can get residence in Turkey. Her children who are with her are all school-aged, but she also has two daughters who are still in Iraq.
Duha’s father was killed by ISIS. Now she lives in Ankara with her mother and 5 siblings. She likes going to Turkish school and her favorite class is math, because she’s good at it. Duha likes drawing as well.
Nilufar is a refugee from Afghanistan. She has been living in America with her husband and two children for three years. Through Alcansa’s sewing class in Richmond, VA, Nilufar has learned to sew, has gotten to know the names of parts of a sewing machine, and has improved her English. She says the sewing class has helped her a lot and feels that she wants to work now.