Exhibition - ADA Türkiye - Civil Society Network for Peer Support and Localisation

Stories: Crossing the Border

Stories: Crossing the Border features individual stories of refugees and asylum seekers in Türkiye who benefitted from CLIP 2 project. The photographs, captured by artist Ali Saltan, give readers a window into the efforts made to restore the beneficiaries’ dignity and increase their resiliency.

The exhibition depicts the impacts of the EU Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) and BMZ, where artist Ali Saltan investigates questions of border, identity, and migration, through a selection of photographs, stories and quotes. The content was gathered between March and July 2022 from projects implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with community-based NGOs in Aksaray, Bursa, Elâzığ, Esenler (Istanbul), Kayseri, Kütahya, Sakarya and Van.

Important Notice

All the stories and quotes in this exhibition are anonymous and they are in no way connected to the pictures next to which they appear.

Full Screen

You can view the exhibition in full screen by pressing the square button on the slide.

Click to see the full story book of the exhibition!

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CROSSING THE BORDER

All the stories and quotes
in this exhibition are anonymous
and they are in no way connected to
the pictures next to which they appear.

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Here we play games and
learn things. I want to be able
to speak with my Turkish friends
and become better at reading
and writing in Turkish.

I came to Türkiye
for a little peace.
No one would leave
their homes
unless they have to.

We found a new home in Kayseri
thanks to this organisation.

Before, we had no idea what to do.
Now, thanks to information meetings
I know my rights and obligations
which I respect and follow.
May God bless them.

My only wish for the future
is to be able to practice
my own profession and
continue my work
that benefits society.

So, thanks to
this organisation,
I have had better days
and higher hopes.
I am grateful for everyone
who stood by my side,
assisted and supported me,
and did not leave me
in despair.

I want to be a doctor
when I grow up.
I wish to have
a beautiful future.

Of course, people all over
the world face financial difficulties,
but for asylum seekers,
the situation is even more difficult.
Because you always feel
like an outsider and alone.

My psychological well-being
has greatly improved as a result of
the activities at the VIED.
I received psychosocial support.
When I'm here, I feel safe and calm.

I am a Syrian woman.
I fled the war and sought
refuge in Türkiye.

This association allowed me
to have the reins of my own life.
I tried, failed, made mistakes,
gathered my courage and tried again.
Thanks to the counseling I started to
feel better. I am not as frail as before.
Now I have the energy
and the strength again.

Thank God for them.
This association is great!
You know, being refugees here,
people need to learn the language.
Even a couple of words spoken in Turkish
can sometimes make a change in your life.

This organisation became our refuge.
It became our voice that
we could not raise by ourselves.
They became a bridge between us
and the authorities.
Thanks to this project,
we were able to adapt here.
I wish the same for all Syrians.

In Afghanistan,
I witnessed war both
outside and inside
our home.

When someone speaks to you
with compassion,
that person is worth
all the world.

This project opened my eyes.
Now I can visit the doctor's practice and
even read the doctor's name on the door.
I know where my kids' school is and can
pronounce my home address in Aksaray.
You have no idea how much this means to me.
May Allah bless all who assisted
and supported me.

Whatever the future holds,
I hope the best for everyone but
especially for my children.

Thank you for hearing
and paying attention to our voice.

It is a place where
we can heal from our past
and grow in our self-esteem.

Hayata Gülümse Association
provided me with
psychological counselling
on this matter, for which
I am extremely grateful.
The association provides
a safe haven for
my children and me.

My children are always happy
when they are in this organisation.
It's already important for them to be visible,
regardless of which activity they participate in.
They feel safe and respected here.

I came to Aksaray, Türkiye,
to ensure my children's future.
I have already forgotten about myself.
My only wish for them is that they be successful
and happy in life. May God give them the power
to achieve all of their dreams.

We drove in the dark of night
with our headlights off
on a cliff-side road that the smugglers
had dug themselves. We traveled for
eighteen hours, in constant fear.
We went through hell and back during that ride.

The biggest contribution of the project is
that now our children are in school.

I thank Allah every day for this association.
I heard that Germany and the European Union
support the association. I thank them too.
The association is aptly named
"Hayata Gülümse" (Smile to Life).
They entered our lives with big, warm smiles.
But, why? Because they gave us hope once we met them.

We come here in the mornings with great joy
and greater hopes in our hearts.
People of all ages come and benefit from this place.
Because there are no barriers.
May Allah bless whoever founded this association,
they are our hope.

It is safe to say that my life has changed
since my first day at school.
I have many dreams I want to pursue;
and I believe they will all come true one day.

Despite my poor Turkish, I get along well
with the Turkish community.
They're all nice people.
They show me a lot of respect and
I have the utmost respect for them.
We are grateful that we can live in
peace and safety here.

My son speaks the best Turkish
of the three of us,
thanks to the courses he took.
He now frequently assists me
as a translator.

Life is difficult...
Very difficult...
It's difficult in every way...

We love each other. I partake in the happiness
and joy and also the sorrow of people in Türkiye,
on good days and bad ones alike.
I do know that they care for me
and share my feelings.
This shows that we share a common affection.

Now I am in a good
social circle.
So are my children.
They too receive counseling.
We can feel more relieved
with every passing day.

ARSA staff spoke with my parents
about the importance of my school attendance,
and my parents agreed.
They helped us with the enrolment
and provided me with the school supplies.

When the doctor said that
my son needed surgery, my son asked
"Will I be able to ride a bike like other kids?"
He is just a kid and my heart's sole desire is
his full recovery. For this,
I thank every person who helped us.

My daughter was essentially a hermit.
But she joined some of my classes,
she got much better. So, I'm very pleased.
I would say my anxiety decreased
and I have overcome my depression.

I first came to the Foundation to learn Turkish,
which I did. I attended the women's solidarity
workshop and learned how to better assist and
help other Syrian women. With other Syrian beneficiaries,
we learned about Turkish laws.

When we first met
the Horan Foundation,
we started to receive
psychological support
in Sakarya. I kept seeing
the psychological counsel
in the organisation.
I talked to her,
opened my heart and explained
my situation in all honesty.
It was a great relief.
I did not have to visit
the doctor again.
May Allah look after her.

Respect is the most
important thing for humans.
We have always received
nothing but respect
and this is of utmost
importance for us.
Yes, we are refugees
from Syria but we do know
and appreciate respect.

Everywhere I've lived, I've felt like an outsider.

I am a foreigner in Türkiye as well.
Because I don't speak the language or
know the local areas well, it is in some ways
even harder here. Everything feels brand-new,
so if you pause and think about it,
it's like being born again.

They attempted to kill me
while I was praying. I lost three fingers.
When the torment became unbearable,
I brought my wife and children here
and left everything behind.

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