Sara, Mariam, and 150 other girls have completed their studies and enrolled in a sewing course
Published: Oct 4, 2021 Reading time: 2 minutesFor any one of us, joining a new language class or sports group can be a nerve-racking prospect. It means new people and new faces. It means being vulnerable. Will we find friends and be accepted into the group? For Sarah, her worries were about joining classes again after not having finished her studies, meaning she would have to study with girls from different age groups.
“When I first joined the school, I knew neither the girls nor the teachers. It was a very different atmosphere (from my old school) as the students are from different backgrounds and I had no friends at first,” said Sarah.
Sarah in fact made friends very fast. Her new group supported her in overcoming her fears about going back to study for higher education after not completing her initial studies: “We encouraged each other which helped me forget all my bad memories and that I did not complete my studies.”
PIN has supported Sarah and hundreds of other women by providing accelerated formal education classes giving them a second shot at entering higher education. Upon completion of these courses, each student earns her 12th-grade certification, allowing her to enroll in local universities.
Alongside their formal studies in Arabic, English, and Maths, at the Sarmada training center PIN also helps these young women learn a trade so that they can support themselves and their families during their formal studies. Here they learn how to knit, sew, and do other activities that can help them start a business in the future. Some also receive a small grant for this purpose or to support them while they are taking part in an apprenticeship opportunity.
Sewing course
A significant part of the training focuses on forming new friendships, cooperation, and the importance of mutual encouragement among students.
“We often assisted each other. Sewing and studying with each other for the exams. We shared information to have better outcomes,“ said Sara’s friend Mariam.
The protracted conflict in Syria has profoundly damaged the economy leaving countless people struggling to find jobs. The situation is especially difficult for young people living in displacement. People in Need (PIN) supports them in building their capacities and practical abilities to get more job opportunities and the confidence to be self-sufficient in the future.
