Refugee Rights Turkey Project #53793

Supporting Afghan Women and Girls on the Move

by Association for Social Development and Aid Mobilization

Project Report | Mar 28, 2025
Aliya Move Forward with Determination

By ASAM | Project Leader

A journey from Afghanistan to Türkiye...A young woman who endures hardships with the dream of continuing her education...Aliya set out from Afghanistan with her family, traveling through Iran to reach Türkiye in 2019. In her home country, she successfully continued her education and graduated fourth in her school. However, she witnessed the Taliban’s restrictive policies on women’s rights and the deprivation of girls from education. Yet, she never lost hope and made a start in Türkiye.

After arriving in Türkiye, her family supported her in continuing her education. However, not knowing Turkish was a big obstacle for her. Therefore, she started looking for a suitable Turkish language course.

During the course, she met an Afghan woman who recommended Association for Social Development and Aid Mobilization (ASAM), where she obtained detailed information on how she could continue her education. She attended Foreign Student Exam (YÖS) workshops to continue her education where she left off.

During the YÖS workshops, Aliya met members of the youth committee and attended a few meetings as a guest. In this process, she found the opportunity to develop herself further and expressed her desire to become a volunteer committee member. Today, as an active member of the youth committee, she regularly participates in meetings and continues to support young people who have gone through a challenging journey like hers.

Aliya emphasizes how vital education is to her, despite the difficulties she has experienced. She says, "We must stand against the deprivation of women and girls from education. No matter what, we must continue learning and improving ourselves."

(Note: The real name of the beneficiary has been changed.)

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Nov 29, 2024
Education and Life Struggle

By ASAM | Project Leader

Afya, an Iranian-born Afghan citizen, experienced a long and difficult journey that changed her life and she achieved her dreams of education in Türkiye.

Afya was born in Iran and received education in this country until the 7th grade. Being of Afghan origin, she and her family faced many educational obstacles. Afra expresses the difficulties they experience by saying "We are Afghan that we couldn’t register for school or paid higher fees. Our access to education was limited due to economic impossibilities.". For these reasons, she returned to Afghanistan with her family in 2013.

However, life in Afghanistan was not as they expected. Afya said "We had difficulty adapting to Afghanistan because we grew up in Iran and could not access education here either.". Afra and her family experienced a constant feeling of insecurity in Afghanistan. These events forced them to migrate again and soon the family settled in Türkiye.

A New Beginning in Türkiye

Afya and her family who couldn’t speak Turkish, did not have an identity card for two years that they tried to live in difficult conditions in different provinces of the country. However, Afya learned Turkish quickly and set an example for her family. “My sisters and I were practicing all the time. We supported each other and focused on learning the language first, because we are safe in this country. We thought this was important to feel," she said. During this time, they met with Association for Social Development and Aid Mobilization (ASAM) and attended workshops to learn Turkish.

Afya started her education in Türkiye in the 11th grade and proved her success in a very short time. In 11th grade, she received a certificate of appreciation and took the Foreign Student Examination in the 12th grade and she was accepted into the Department of International Relations.

Afya's two sisters both attach great importance to education life and they attract attention to be successful students. Despite the difficult conditions, the family sees education as a way out and this goal is making great efforts in this regard.

Afya applied to ASAM offices and received information about scholarship opportunities. She was also provided with guidance to schedule a doctor's appointment and benefit from health services. She was given detailed information about the treatment process and the Immigration Administration's procedures.

Afya's story provides hope for millions of refugee girls struggling with difficulties. Rebuilding her life with education and determination, Afya will achieve greater success in the future.

(Note: The real name of the beneficiary has been changed.)

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Aug 2, 2024
The Young Woman's Story of Determination

By SGDD-ASAM | Project Leader

Amine, who came to Türkiye at the age of 16, explains the difficult times she went through and how she rebuilt her life.

Amine's success story draws attention with the support she receives through the Association for Social Development and Aid Mobilization(ASAM) and the determination she shows.

Amine was 16 years old when she came to Türkiye and married her cousin. She had a child from this marriage, and over time her marriage started to go bad. Her husband treated Amine badly and he didn't care about his children. Amine, who met with the ASAM during this difficult period, said that her life experienced a turning point. Asam offered her an opportunity to train in an employment project.

She completed her vocational and language education thanks to ASAM and received psychological support. Amine had the opportunity to improve herself thanks to training and support. After completing her vocational training, Amine decided that her marriage could not continue. She filed for divorce with the legal support she received from ASAM. Amine became even stronger by gaining economic freedom in this process.

Amine thinks that both she and her ex-husband are happier apart. "I take good care of him and have seen his development with my own eyes," said Amine. She also stated that her daughter socialized with experts in ASAM's playrooms.

Amine expressed her feelings with the following words ‘ I always say it, let me say it again. We grew up in Asam’s center with my daughter. I am more hopeful now, I will do my best for my daughter. I'm doing it. I would like to thank all ASAM employees who provided.'.

Amine's story shows what can be achieved with perseverance and determination even under difficult circumstances and her story continues to give hope and courage to women and girls.

Note: The real name of the beneficiary has been changed.

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