My name is Dilberin Suleiman. I am 30 years old and originally from the city of Qamishli in Syria.
I have been displaced twice in my life. The first time was 13 years ago, when I was forced to flee Syria because of the shelling, violence, kidnappings, and the devastating war that surrounded us. From there, I went to Turkey, where I lived for one year. Life there was very difficult, and I experienced a great deal of discrimination. After that, I was displaced again and moved to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where I have now been living for the past 11 years.
Today, I live in Gawilan Camp with my two daughters, who are 10 and 11 years old. For the past three years, I have been a single mother, fully responsible for raising and supporting them on my own.
We live in a caravan in the camp, not in a real house. When the wind is strong, the door swings open. On rainy nights, I cannot sleep because of the sound of rain hitting the roof. The caravans are built very close to one another, leaving little sense of privacy. I miss living under a real roof instead of a temporary shelter. Gawilan Camp is also far from the city and its services, which often makes us feel isolated from everyday life.
As a woman and a single mother, I sometimes face challenges that make daily life more difficult.
Living in a conservative environment can be hard, and women's privacy is not always respected. At the same time, I am grateful to the people of Kurdistan. They welcomed us, protected us, and helped us when we first arrived. Even now, I feel more comfortable and secure here than I have in many other places.
Still, I miss my home. I miss my family and all the beautiful gatherings we used to share together. Here, I have no real support system. If I become sick, or if one of my daughters needs help, there is no one to rely on except for one friend whom I consider a sister.
For eight years, I worked in childcare. I had a good job, but due to a lack of funding and resources, the project eventually came to an end. After I lost my job, some friends in the camp told me about the Stronger Women, Stronger Nations program run by Women for Women International, and I decided to join in October 2025.
From the moment I joined, I felt a great sense of emotional relief. Being with the other women and the team gave me a space where I could learn, talk openly, build friendships, and develop new skills. Our trainer is incredibly kind and understanding. Every time I attend the sessions, my mood improves and I feel better about myself.
From the beginning, I was especially interested in the vocational training opportunities, particularly hairdressing, makeup, and nail care. Joining the program gave me the motivation to pursue these interests seriously. Before the vocational sessions had even started, I began teaching myself nail care and found a woman who agreed to train me. As a result, I have already started offering nail services and earning a small income to support myself and my daughters.
Through the Stronger Women, Stronger Nations program, I hope to continue developing these skills. I want to learn more about saving money, building a small business, and advancing my knowledge of hair, beauty, and makeup services.
Life is truly difficult for me and the people like me, but since joining the Stronger Women, Stronger Nations program, I have felt more hopeful.
I believe that people should always hold on to hope and keep looking toward a better future.
Recently, during the military escalation involving Iran and attacks that affected Iraq, we were very frightened. I was deeply worried, and my daughters were also scared. They had heard stories about war from me, but they had never lived through it themselves. For the first time, they experienced the fear and anxiety caused by the sounds of explosions and the possibility of conflict. They could see my fear, and for me, those moments brought back all the painful memories of the war I had lived through in Syria.
I became afraid that I might be forced to flee again for a third or even a fourth time. I also fear being forced to return to Syria, which still does not feel safe. There are still risks of kidnapping and insecurity, and we no longer have a home there to return to.
Right now, I am focusing on the courses I attend with Women for Women International. Alongside the vocational skills, I am learning something equally important: how to trust myself, believe in my abilities, and present myself with confidence.
Sometimes I think about what I would say if I had the chance to speak directly to world leaders. I would ask them to invest in peace and stability instead of funding wars. I wish we could spend our resources building homes and communities, rather than building temporary camps for people who have been forced to flee their homes.
No one chooses to leave their home, their family, and everything they know behind. Yet millions of people are forced to do so because of conflict and insecurity. My hope is simple: that families like mine can one day live in safety and stability, under a real roof, in a place they can truly call home.