OUR LIFE BEFORE We had a very good life in Syria. My husband who was a French teacher was going to work while I was tutoring pre-school age children and writing informative articles for older students about universities. My son Alaa was preparing to study at university and my daughter Kinde was studying English. It…
Being a refugee means starting from scratch for many. Humanitarian aid can be a big facilitator for individuals that are struggling to regain their independence. In the case of Manat (11), we once again experienced how crucial can well-placed assistance be. It was invigorating for all of us in Istanbul field office to see a…
If we define our own living space though predefined identities of belonging, norms for a ‘home;’ for the last two weeks Pazarkule is a ‘haunted house’. For the last two weeks the ‘no man’s land’ –the buffer zone between the two borders– spearhead defendable values of the modern age. This no man’s land has been…
By definition, humanitarian aid conducts activities to provide basic services when local capacities are overwhelmed and public institutions fail to facilitate vulnerable groups access to basic rights and services. As Support to Life, beyond addressing immediate protection needs of the refugee community living in Turkey, we also care a great deal about enabling sustainable solutions…
This year at our Mardin Support to Life Hub, community volunteers play an active role within our activities. Thanks to our volunteer team, our awareness-raising and information sessions are much more effective. Individuals that speak the language, that have experienced similar hardships, that know their fellow community-members form much stronger channels of communication and enable…
Elvin is 30 years old, married and has two children – Eflin and Aden. They live in Kazanlı, where farming (especially greenhouses) is the main source of livelihood. The day we reach there is just a couple of days after a strong storm. Some greenhouses have their roofs blown over and as we drive in…
