Discipline and responsibility had shaped Bushra ’s life for many years. She was a biology teacher in Iraq. Classes spent at the microscope in the laboratory, explaining cells and the world of living organisms to her students…

At the centre of her life were work, responsibility, and her family. Her days were structured, organized, and intense. However, her orderly daily life in Iraq turned into a migration journey due to political instability…

She came to Türkiye and settled in Ankara. Bushra approached this change with the same determination she always had.

In the early days of her new life, she was introduced to ADA Türkiye SGDD-ASAM and the Ankara Community Centre.

First, Bushra set her mind on learning the language of the country she had moved to and joined the Turkish course at the centre. Then came painting and sewing workshops thanks to the co-funding by the EU and BMZ. She participated in entrepreneurship trainings and received certificates. But most important of all, she “found herself” while painting.

When she picked up the brush, the teacher who had spent years teaching children biology gave way to another Bushra, one who loved playing with colours. Today, Bushra’s paintings decorate the walls of her home.

“Every corner of my house is filled with my paintings,” Bushra says with a smile. “I even gifted one to you. Let it hang on every wall so that we never forget this course.”

In the sewing workshop, Bushra experienced a different kind of joy. The clothes they made during the course were delivered to people in need in the earthquake-affected regions, which became an unforgettable experience for her.

After years of disciplined work, Bushra recalls becoming emotional while sewing clothes for children affected by the earthquake. In that moment, she deeply felt how a small touch she made could carry great meaning for someone else’s life. For her, this was one of the most tangible forms of solidarity.

The activities at SGDD-ASAM brought not only new skills into Bushra’s life but also new friendships. She built strong bonds with the friends she made at the centre. Now, they meet not only at the centre but also in their daily lives. During Ramadan, they invite each other for iftar and spend time together.

The Day a Dream Came True in the Stands

One of the most memorable moments in Bushra’s life took place recently, on International Women’s Day. Thanks to the organization made possible by the ADA Türkiye partner SGDD-ASAM, she had the chance to watch a women’s volleyball match from the stands for the very first time.

The atmosphere in the hall was completely different. Bushra finally found herself right in the middle of an action she had been watching on television for years. With her phone in hand, she excitedly took photos and videos. But the most unforgettable moment came at the end of the match. Taking a victory photo with the players was a truly special experience for her.

“I found that little girl inside me, the one I lost in the uncertainty of Iraq, again in Türkiye, in a volleyball stand, on a painting canvas, in a sewing workshop. You never abandoned that little child in me, and I held on to her” says Bushra.

Today, she lives in the same house with her daughter and grandchildren. Thousands of kilometres away from her homeland, yet in her new home, she stands as one of the most beautiful examples of starting over and rebuilding life from scratch.

The CLIP project is co-financed by the European Union Humanitarian Aid (DG ECHO) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). To date, more than 16.000 participants have enrolled in the non-formal education courses the project’s implementing partners have opened, and more than 3,000 activities were carried out within the scope of the project to promote social cohesion between the communities.