Jina is a Syrian refugee who spent much of the conflict living with her husband in Damascus, where every day was filled with the threat of violence and death.
“There were armed people around, airplanes bombing the city, and injured people receiving no help,” she recalls. “I always imagined a terrorist entering our home and attacking us. When I could no longer live like that, we finally moved southwards, seeking safety.”
Jina and her husband ended up at Domiz 2 refugee camp in Kurdistan, but found adjusting to this strange new life extremely difficult. “We did not fit into camp-life because we had no trust in anyone, due to trauma, fear and our damaged mental health,” she says.
Eventually, things became a little easier to manage, and mother-of-two Jina started taking part in the Lotus Flower’s English language classes. “I also joined awareness sessions at the centre, and would feel joy and excitement every time I visited,” she adds.
Through learning new skills and meeting other women like her, Jina’s confidence increased, which has had other positive effects on her wellbeing. “It improved my mental health, and I have found the staff to be so full of life and love. They helped me gain knowledge and encouraged me to work harder on myself.”
Jina then signed up to take part in the Lotus Flower’s Peace Sisters project, which enables women and girls to become mediators in their own communities. The programme offers training in peacebuilding, teamwork, public speaking and communications skills, while it also includes workshops that encourage inclusion, collaboration and open dialogue across multiple faiths, cultures and generations. “This helped me gain more experience in English and improved my ability to work with people with special needs,” she says. “This training and the education and social support offered provides such a positive vibe.”
We’re so glad that Jina has benefitted from our work in these ways, and hope we’ll be able to continue reaching many more like her...
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