Hussein, a 25-year-old man originally from Aleppo, Syria, has been displaced multiple times and is now a refugee in Türkiye. He is one of CARE’s community activators* and was among the first ones to rush to help out his community immediately after the devastating earthquakes struck eastern Türkiye on February 6, 2023, by providing psychological first aid to people affected by the disaster.
On World Refugee Day 2023, Hussein is sharing with us his thoughts and his experience as a refugee, with a request to all countries around the world who receive refugees, to give them a chance.
“I was a student at Damascus University. I am now a refugee in Türkiye. Life has changed dramatically in such a short time. Before, I lived with my family and among my friends, enjoying their care and friendship in my homeland. But as a refugee, you feel permanently alone. Your studies and ambition stop because you are a refugee.
Problems that you wouldn't have in your own country like being seen as a foreigner, the language barrier, and so many other problems become a daily struggle. You are alone and you always feel fear surrounding each aspect of your life. The simplest example is when you go to the hospital, and you cannot express your pain to the doctor because of the language barrier.”
“Now I work any job I can get,”says Hussein.
Hussein used to work for two years in a local TV channel in Syria. He was the presenter of a TV show called Aghla Shabab, which means talented youth. The show aimed at presenting different talents and ideas of young people of Syria, with the objective to promote them and help them find support to grow and continue their work to fulfill their dreams. But when he was forced to flee, he had to forget the job he loved and to start all over again.
“Now I work any job I can get. I have worked in factories, in sewing workshops, and have even worked as a construction worker. When you are a refugee, your concern becomes securing a living and renting a house. You do not have the option to work in your field, but rather you work in any job that can secure you an income.”
“If I had the choice to start all over again, I would choose to work in the field of media, which is close to my heart. I would like to work in the media shedding light to humanitarian cases, sharing the stories of families who need help, and be able to communicate the voices of young people and the challenges they face. This should be the mission of the media, as I see it. Media is a tool which has the power to communicate the voice of truth and the voice of the oppressed. This is what I would like to return to one day.”
Being asked about what he misses the most, Hussein’s answer is very quick and clear.
“I wish my mom was here! Or I could bring her here or at least I could meet her after such a long time. There are refugees who have not seen their families for years, and then they received the news of the death of someone in the family. This is the worst feeling. You can't do anything. It is heart breaking.”
When the earthquakes of February 6 struck eastern Türkiye, Hussein was displaced anew. As many Syrian refugees tell us, the earthquake brought memories from Syria, and forced many to re-live some of the most traumatic days of their life.
"I rented a new house and started from scratch again, in every sense of the word,"Hussein says.
“We couldn't think of bringing anything, we needed time to process what had happened. The earthquake was accompanied by a terrifying sound, a sound that woke up memories full of fear and tragedy. I could not distinguish between reality and imagination.”
“I left my house with only the clothes I was wearing. The difference this time was that we had to flee because of the earthquake instead of the war. We were homeless again and had to sleep in the streets. I stayed on the streets for 4 days until I found a new shelter. I was then able to shower, eat and process what had happened to me.
Syrian refugees can adapt and coexist with any people and in any country. They only ask for safety, protection, and stability. When we feel secure, we can start thinking about our education and achieving our ambitions. The biggest challenge facing refugees is deportation. We always feel threatened with deportation. This terrifies us and does not allow us to live or progress.
If I am ever deported to Syria, my life and my future would be over. This threat of deportation is destroying an entire generation.”
"I ask all countries that receive refugees to give them this chance. Make them feel safe and stable,"he requests.
Notes to editors:
*With funding from The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of USA, CARE trains interested, available, and motivated community members as community activators, who together with CARE experts, employ a peer-to-peer education model in engaging with the community for information dissemination on topics from access to basic rights and mental health to child protection, education, parenting skills and gender-based violence.