When war took away her education, one mother in Domiz Refugee Camp refused to let history repeat itself. With the help of a local education and resilience programme, she is now watching her daughter bloom with confidence, laughter, and learning.
A joyful call in the camp
In a quiet corner of Domiz Refugee Camp, the early afternoon breeze carries laughter through the dusty paths between homes. Four-year-old Heleen stands at the doorway of her family’s shelter, her eyes bright and her smile wide. “Ala, Ala, Ala!” she calls joyfully to her older sister.
Seven-year-old Ala soon appeares beside her, shy but curious. The two girls live with their parents in the camp, while their father works long hours as a daily laborer.
Inside, their mother welcomes visitors with a warm smile and a home freshly cleaned – part of a daily routine that brings comfort and structure to their lives.
A mother’s story of displacement
The mother shares her story quietly. She first arrived in Domiz in 2013, having fled conflict in Dirk, Syria, with her parents. At the time, she was still a teenager. Four years later, she married a neighbor from the camp and started building a new life.
Yet the trauma of war has left deep scars. “I studied in Sham, Syria, but our school was bombed. I never got my diploma. My teachers died, and my future, everything I hoped for, was shattered,” she recalls. “That moment, my life was bombarded too.” The loss of her education has been one of many moments that changed the course of her life.
“I studied in Sham, Syria, but our school was bombed. I never got my diploma. My teachers died, and my future, everything I hoped for, was shattered,” she recalls. Now she is determined to give her daughters a brighter path forward.
Breaking through shyness
Determined that her children would not carry the same burdens, she has focused on giving Ala and Heleen a brighter path forward. But Ala, the eldest, struggled with extreme shyness. “She wouldn’t speak, play, or go to the shop alone, not even for candy,” her mother says.
Everything began to shift when Ala joined an education and resilience programme offered by DCA in partnership with the local NGO – Judy Organisation for Relief and Development (JORD). The transformation over the following two years has been remarkable.
“Ala loves going to the center,” her mother smiles. “She even asks me to wake her up early so she won’t miss it.”
New confidence, new beginnings
Today, Ala is a confident young girl who plays easily with friends, shares her thoughts, and expresses her feelings.
“She’s no longer afraid of teachers.She trusts them because of the kindness she’s felt in the JORD programs,” her mother adds.
That shift has touched the whole family—especially Heleen. “Ala’s confidence helped Heleen open up too. They’re like friends now,” their mother says. “I tried so hard to help Ala connect with others, but the center gave her what I couldn’t.”
Learning and growing together
The programme has also laid a foundation for Ala’s education. She has already learned the Kurdish and English alphabets and gained preschool-level skills. Regular follow-ups from the center have also supported the mother in strengthening her relationship with her daughters.
“I’ve learned how to talk to them better. It’s helped us grow as a family,” the mother says.
Though the family continues to face hardship – including limited support from humanitarian aid systems – they remain hopeful. “We only got assistance for six months when we first arrived,” the mother explained. “We’ve filed complaints, but nothing has changed.”
Looking at Ala, now thriving and joyful, she says softly, “She was my greatest worry. Now I see her happy, and that means everything.”
As the visit ended, Ala and Heleen wave goodbye from their doorway, their laughter rising into the crisp autumn air. In a place shaped by displacement, this small family stands as a quiet symbol of resilience, growth, and the power of a child’s smile to light the way forward.
About the project
- Exact/full title: Survivor and Community-Led Crisis Response in KRI, Iraq
- Period: 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022
- Partner: Judy Organisation for Relief and Development (JORD)
- Amount: 600,000 SEK
- Theme: Building Resilience
- Donor(s): ACT Church of Sweden
