DO NOT USE (embargoed by head office) Photo: Daniel Wheeler/NRC Description: Ala (22) poses for a portrait. Factual information First name: Ala Age: 22 Current location: Za’atari Refugee Camp, Jordan From: Daraa, Syria. Fled to Jordan in 2012 Occupation: Seamstress at NRC’s youth programme. NRC beneficiary: Yes, Ala received seamstress training as part of NRC’s youth training programme and now works as a seamstress as part of the programme. Interview Ala’s words “I fled Syria in 2012 because of the heavy fighting. I left on foot at 10pm and arrived at the Jordanian border at 6am the next morning. We travelled at night because we were terrified of being attached on the way. There was around 100 of us and many people were injured. When we arrived at the border and were met by the army (Jordanian Army) I felt like a drowning person that had been saved. I felt on edge the entire journey and now I had soldiers telling me ‘You are safe now’, it was all so overwhelming. I live with my five sisters and five brothers. I am the eldest, so I feel responsible for them, and I looked after them during coronavirus. I found out about NRC’s youth programme after doing a four-month sewing scholarship with a different organisation. I became very passionate about sewing so I wanted to continue my training and the programme at NRC seemed perfect. When I started on the programme, I realised that I still had so much to learn, and it was very intensive but rewarding. The programme is delivered in three phases, with the first stages being training and the third phase being an employment opportunity. I live on the other side of the camp and walk an hour each day to get to the centre. It’s a long walk in the desert heat but it’s so worth it. An average day for me is waking up at 6am and after getting ready, I walk to the centre and we started work at 8:30am. At 12:30am we have a lunch break and then we work until 3pm. After I walk back home, I usually have a nap because the work is tiring but very rewarding. When asked what the programme means to her, she replies with: “This opportunity that NRC has given me has provided me with financial independence and an opportunity for success in my life. My father is so proud of me and that is very important to me.” When asked what she wants to do in the future, she says: “In the future, I want to open my own sewing centre for women which has integrity and quality – just like NRC.”
Jordanien

Alas beslutsamhet ger resultat

Unga som bor i flyktingläger har ofta inte så många valmöjligheter. Många kan känna hopplöshet och vanmakt. Men Ala (22) är ett bevis på att framtiden kan se ljus ut om man har styrkan, beslutsamheten och rätt stöd.

Det är sommar. Tidigt varje morgon stiger Alas upp och går genom flyktinglägret Zaatari i Jordanien. I en timme går hon genom ökenhettan. Hon går genom det som med tiden har blivit en stor, livlig och urban bosättning, som nu är hem för cirka 76 000 syriska flyktingar. Klockan halv nio är hon framme på arbetet. Det är värt den långa promenaden.

– Den här möjligheten har givit mig ekonomiskt oberoende och en chans att lyckas i livet, säger hon med ett fast leende.

Stöd vårt arbete och bidra till att fler unga flyktingar kan få en utbildning
 

En skrämmande resa

Ala är från Syrien men 2012 blev hon tvungen att fly tillsammans med sin familj då det blev farligt att stanna på grund av kriget. Resan till Jordanien var skrämmande. Ala var bara 13 år då familjen måste lämna sitt hem.

– Jag gav mig av till fots klockan tio på kvällen och kom fram till gränsen mot Jordanien klockan sex nästa morgon. Vi gick på natten eftersom vi var livrädda för att bli angripna på vägen. Vi var runt 100 personer och många blev skadade, berättar hon.

– Det kändes som om jag skulle drunkna men så blev jag räddad.
Ala

– När vi kom till gränsen möttes vi av den jordanska armén. Det kändes som om jag skulle drunkna men så blev jag räddad. Jag hade varit så rädd hela vägen men nu sa soldaterna till mig ”du är trygg nu”. Det var överväldigande.

Börjar vuxenlivet i ett läger

Unga på flykt kämpar mer än sina jämnåriga för att få en utbildning. Bara tre procent av världens flyktingar studerar vid universitet eller genomgår annan högre utbildning. För humanitära organisationer som NRC Flyktinghjälpen är det viktigt att investera i utbildning och möjligheter för människor på flykt. Utan dem kan de unga förlora känslan av värde och hopp om framtiden.

För Ala kom möjligheten i form av att lära sig att sy.

– Jag fick höra talas om NRC Flyktinghjälpens ungdomsprogram efter att ha fått fyra månaders sömnadsutbildning hos en annan organisation. Det gav mig mycket glädje att sy så jag ville lära mig mer, säger hon.

Programmet är uppdelat i tre steg. De två första fokuserar på utbildning medan det tredje steget utgörs av en praktikplats.

– NRC Flyktinghjälpens program fungerade perfekt. När jag började förstod jag att jag fortfarande hade mycket att lära. Det var väldigt intensivt men givande.

DO NOT USE (embargoed by head office) Photo: Daniel Wheeler/NRC Description: Ala (22) sewing some baby clothes as part of a UNICEF contract that the centre managed to secure. Factual information First name: Ala Age: 22 Current location: Za’atari Refugee Camp, Jordan From: Daraa, Syria. Fled to Jordan in 2012 Occupation: Seamstress at NRC’s youth programme. NRC beneficiary: Yes, Ala received seamstress training as part of NRC’s youth training programme and now works as a seamstress as part of the programme. Interview Ala’s words “I fled Syria in 2012 because of the heavy fighting. I left on foot at 10pm and arrived at the Jordanian border at 6am the next morning. We travelled at night because we were terrified of being attached on the way. There was around 100 of us and many people were injured. When we arrived at the border and were met by the army (Jordanian Army) I felt like a drowning person that had been saved. I felt on edge the entire journey and now I had soldiers telling me ‘You are safe now’, it was all so overwhelming. I live with my five sisters and five brothers. I am the eldest, so I feel responsible for them, and I looked after them during coronavirus. I found out about NRC’s youth programme after doing a four-month sewing scholarship with a different organisation. I became very passionate about sewing so I wanted to continue my training and the programme at NRC seemed perfect. When I started on the programme, I realised that I still had so much to learn, and it was very intensive but rewarding. The programme is delivered in three phases, with the first stages being training and the third phase being an employment opportunity. I live on the other side of the camp and walk an hour each day to get to the centre. It’s a long walk in the desert heat but it’s so worth it. An average day for me is waking up at 6am and after getting ready, I walk to the centre and we started work at 8:30am. At 12:30am we have a lunch break and then we work until 3pm. After I walk back home, I usually have a nap because the work is tiring but very rewarding. When asked what the programme means to her, she replies with: “This opportunity that NRC has given me has provided me with financial independence and an opportunity for success in my life. My father is so proud of me and that is very important to me.” When asked what she wants to do in the future, she says: “In the future, I want to open my own sewing centre for women which has integrity and quality – just like NRC.”
Ala syr babykläder åt UNICEF. Foto: Daniel Wheeler/NRC Flyktinghjälpen

Nu arbetar Ala som sömmerska på NRC Flyktinghjälpens ungdomscenter. Centret är ekonomiskt självständigt och all vinst återinvesteras för att ge fler unga en arbetsplats. Centret erbjuder också snickar- och svetsarutbildning, utöver en rad andra kurser.

Självständighet

När vi frågade Ala vad jobbet betyder för henne svarade hon: – Den möjlighet som NRC Flyktinghjälpen har gett mig betyder ekonomiskt oberoende.

– Min pappa är stolt över mig och det är väldigt viktigt för mig.

DO NOT USE (embargoed by head office) Photo: Daniel Wheeler/NRC Description: Ala (22) sewing some baby clothes as part of a UNICEF contract that the centre managed to secure. Factual information First name: Ala Age: 22 Current location: Za’atari Refugee Camp, Jordan From: Daraa, Syria. Fled to Jordan in 2012 Occupation: Seamstress at NRC’s youth programme. NRC beneficiary: Yes, Ala received seamstress training as part of NRC’s youth training programme and now works as a seamstress as part of the programme. Interview Ala’s words “I fled Syria in 2012 because of the heavy fighting. I left on foot at 10pm and arrived at the Jordanian border at 6am the next morning. We travelled at night because we were terrified of being attached on the way. There was around 100 of us and many people were injured. When we arrived at the border and were met by the army (Jordanian Army) I felt like a drowning person that had been saved. I felt on edge the entire journey and now I had soldiers telling me ‘You are safe now’, it was all so overwhelming. I live with my five sisters and five brothers. I am the eldest, so I feel responsible for them, and I looked after them during coronavirus. I found out about NRC’s youth programme after doing a four-month sewing scholarship with a different organisation. I became very passionate about sewing so I wanted to continue my training and the programme at NRC seemed perfect. When I started on the programme, I realised that I still had so much to learn, and it was very intensive but rewarding. The programme is delivered in three phases, with the first stages being training and the third phase being an employment opportunity. I live on the other side of the camp and walk an hour each day to get to the centre. It’s a long walk in the desert heat but it’s so worth it. An average day for me is waking up at 6am and after getting ready, I walk to the centre and we started work at 8:30am. At 12:30am we have a lunch break and then we work until 3pm. After I walk back home, I usually have a nap because the work is tiring but very rewarding. When asked what the programme means to her, she replies with: “This opportunity that NRC has given me has provided me with financial independence and an opportunity for success in my life. My father is so proud of me and that is very important to me.” When asked what she wants to do in the future, she says: “In the future, I want to open my own sewing centre for women which has integrity and quality – just like NRC.”
Alla jobbar hårt. Foto: Daniel Wheeler/NRC Flyktinghjälpen

Ala är äldst av 11 syskon, och hon hjälper familjen med pengarna hon tjänar på sitt arbete.

– Jag är äldst och därför känner jag ansvar för dem. Jag passade dem under coronapandemin, säger hon stolt.

Många unga på flykt kan förlora hoppet men Ala är ambitiös och optimistisk inför framtiden.

– I framtiden vill jag öppna ett eget sömnadscenter.