Samia

From Turkey the family were accepted under the resettlement programme for Syrians and came as refugees to NI in 2019.

“Syria to Turkey was a small step. But coming to Northern Ireland was a big jump!”

“Imagine you have your own life, a good life, family and friends and then one day you have to pack one suitcase, put as much in it as you can to travel to an unknown place. A place totally different,  a new life, a new culture. New beginnings always bring mixed feelings; fears for the future, feelings of isolation and loneliness. We asked ourselves, did we make the wrong decision but on the other hand we were hoping for a better and safer future for our family. It was so stressful at the beginning but we learned to love living here and we are always curious to improve our skills and knowledge. The feeling of living in a settled place is good.”

Samia explains how she has good memories of the beautiful city and country she calls home but it was also “scary to hear the aeroplane flying over, not knowing if we would be bombed.”

Samia is proud of her family, proud to be Syrian and also equally proud that through hard work and commitment she has gained citizenship here. She expresses her gratitude for the opportunity to come with her family to a place they can call home, where they feel safe and supported and in turn wants to give back to her community.

After initially feeling very lost and lonely she says she has found her “second family” at First Steps Women’s Centre. She smiles, “Being an active member made me feel welcome here. I feel like I am home. For me home is a safe place I can rest and spend time with my family after a busy day. I found this place in Dungannon.”

In Syria Samia didn’t have the opportunity to further her education after school but she had a love of learning. Coming to NI has opened up this possibility for her. She is very determined not to settle and is on a continual quest for knowledge and wanting to learn, grow and to develop new skills. In Syria she had dreamed of studying art and design and going to university but it never happened. Perhaps this is her time.

“The positives of living here keep me motivated to reach my goals, Mid Ulster is a very safe place and there are many opportunities out there but you have to take them!” When she came here first it was challenging but she almost immediately enrolled at South West College and FSWC to learn English as she believes this is foundational for anyone choosing to come to live in a new country.

Although the climate in Ireland is very different to Syria, she doesn’t miss the hot summers and infact has been quite inspired by the seasons, colours and weather here exploring photography, creating videos to capture the beauty of her new country and posting on her instagram. She is inspired by nature and especially the greenery of Ireland. Her joy for life and desire for learning and pursuing her dreams are infectious but she is also very realistic, “Dreams don’t work until you do! If you just stay sitting at home you won’t get anywhere. You have to do something, integrate with the community and get to know people.” Her life in Syria was busy at home with young children and her family. Coming to NI changed everything, her children started school and she needed to have a focus to help her stay positive. Creating and art help enormously.  Samia has a great work ethic and as well as being a very busy mum, studying and exploring design she volunteered at FSCW before accepting a job in childcare. Previously she also volunteered at Step, an empowerment programme in Mid Ulster. She believes volunteering and working are really important ways to make new friends, connect with others and contribute to society.

Samia is happy and settled in NI. She and her husband are working and her children are doing well at school. Having said this her Syrian heritage and traditions remain very important to her. Her family practice their faith and there is a mosque locally they attend. They have friends from the local community as well as other Muslims and enjoy bigger celebrations in Belfast. She loves to cook Arabic food. Following Islamic culture requires sourcing halal meat and some special ingredients. Usually the family travel to Lisburn or Belfast to source and purchase produce. They speak Arabic at home. Her mother tongue is very important and she hopes her children continue to speak Arabic and hold on to this legacy as it contacts them back to their roots and family in Syria. Some things are a little difficult still. For instance, Muslim dress is quite different to western clothing. There may be a greater variety of shops in bigger cities but mainly the family orders their clothes online.

Eid is a special time and family celebration in the Muslim calendar. She explains how she misses this traditional as it was a time for festivities, eating and big family celebrations. It’s different celebrating with her family in Mid-Ulster, at home many families got together but it is still an important tradition to carry on. She missed her wider family who still live in Syria.

Samia’s advice to any newcomer is to encourage them to study, to volunteer, to develop new skills but she doesn’t underestimate the challenges especially having come from a very different culture. She stresses the importance of making new friends and building community otherwise it is easy to become depressed. She has worked through all of these obstacles. “At the beginning I felt different but when I got to know other women in the community, I realized we all think alike and we aren’t so different after all. I might wear the hijab but really, I’m not so different. I try to treat people as I would like people to treat me, if you live with this attitude it is better than judgment.”

She adds: “I want to be a positive role model for other women to help them achieve their dreams. My advice, be strong. Be grateful and thankful. Study English and do some volunteering, this way you gain friends and build a life. Keep dreaming and keep working to achieve your dreams. Be beautiful because beautiful things are not forgettable.”