Standing in front of the mirror, scissors in hand, Reyya is cutting a customer’s hair as she speaks, smiling: “No one used to hear me before… but now everyone listens to Reyya.”
33-year-old Reyya Ali, following her long and arduous journey from Syria’s city of Hama to Türkiye, is now a mother of five, the backbone of her family, and a woman who guides other women in empowering them. She only had the power to survive when she took refuge in Hatay in 2012 after the war. For years, her husband struggled with health issues, their income declined, and she felt deeply hopeless during the days when she was unable to meet her children’s needs.
“There used to be an indescribable feeling of loneliness within me when I couldn’t get something my son wanted”, she says.
A life strengthened through solidarity
What broke that loneliness was the call to solidarity. Owing to ASAM’s Earthquake Response, Assistance and Early Recovery in Hatay Project, life in the container city was slowly being reshaped. Hope was gradually blossoming again with every repaired communal area, re-established daily routine, and shared story. And Reyya became a part of this change, a part of that reborn hope.
The Women’s Solidarity Circle, which Reyya joined with the support of ASAM, marked a true turning point in her life. Thanks to the solidarity committee, she reconnected with people.
She rediscovered hairdressing, which she used to be passionate about, and picked up her scissors again. She was no longer just helping her own family, but was also lending a helping hand to other women.
Teaching her hairdressing skills to other women unlocked a new door of confidence in Reyya’s life: “I felt so happy, and I realized that I can change the world if I want to. I just needed someone to encourage me along the way, and you supported me so much in that. Thanks to you, I gained confidence and became much stronger.”
The voice of change and resilience
For Reyya, the committee was not just a learning space; it was also where she started to learn how to make time for herself: “Before joining the committee, I couldn’t make time for myself, which negatively affected my mood. But after joining the committee, I realized how good it felt to make time for myself and how much it strengthened my connection with my family.”
Reyya says, “No one used to hear me before, but now everyone listens to me. There are so many women who feel trapped in this life, never having experienced even a single day of happiness. I was one of them. But I learned how to cope with it here.”
For Reyya, December 5 International Women’s Rights Day symbolizes a rebirth, finding strength through solidarity, and the worth of making her voice heard.
Today, Reyya continues to be a voice that empowers other women.
