WOMEN’S COMMUNITY CENTRE IN KILIS Kilis is a province in southeast Turkey with one of the highest concentration of Syrian refugees. It is home to the only known Syrian-run women’s community centre in southeast Turkey. We met Najlaa Sheekh – an exceptional woman and the mastermind behind the project- who took us on a dramatic journey from her hometown in A’zaz to Kilis in Turkey. Sipping coffee in the courtyard of a nicely reconstructed townhouse, we quickly learned that Najlaa is not an ordinary woman. Brought up in a conservative family and married at 19, she had a keen interest in psychology. She took courses in provision of psychosocial support and chose psychology as her major at Damascus University. In the midst of her studies, however, the war broke out and neither Najlaa, nor her husband, a PhD student at the time were able to finish their studies. At the beginning of the war, women were not being subjected to treatment equally harsh as that of men, Najlaa thought. Until one day, when her apartment building was raided by armed men in Damascus. Grabbing her two small sons, Husain and Amer, she hid in the elevator until the men left. She knew it was time to escape to Aleppo, where her relatives lived. Escape to Aleppo, however, did not stop Najlaa’s determination to assist people affected by the conflict by helping to supply and deliver medical supplies for vulnerable families displaced within Syria. However, it wasn’t long before airstrikes started pounding the city, and the three were forced to move even closer to the borders, to Najlaa’s hometown, A’zaz. Yet, even in this time, she remained committed to her mission and commuted back and forth between A’zaz and Aleppo in order to help women and the vulnerable. It was during the Ramadan in 2012 when Najlaa’s uncle’s house, where the family was accommodated, was struck by a bomb. Amer, who was nine at that time was injured in the face. With no other option available, Najlaa, Amer and Husain had to flee to Turkey. Amer was admitted to Kilis State Hospital emergency room, while Najlaa found herself in a hotel in Kilis. By that time, Kilis was already serving as a safe haven for many Syrian refugees like Najlaa, who fled the persecution back home. A firm advocate of female empowerment, Najlaa hoped to reconnect with them in an effort to regain control of their lives. She recollected, however, the shock and disbelief that struck her when she witnessed other women just quietly letting the time pass. These were not the strong and brave women that she knew back in Syria. “What has happened to us? We were the kind of people who could do anything”, she questioned. She explains that, among all the difficulties, she was helped by her landlord. “He was so kind to give us housing and food,” Najlaa says. Without knowing anything about life in Turkey and where she and her family were heading, she decided to find a way to see how she can encourage other Syrian women and she spoke to each woman around her. She learned that knitting and handicrafts were some of the most common skills. “I told my landlord about 18 talented women that I have met and without even knowing the value of Turkish money, he generously lent me 1,000 Turkish lira,”Najlaa says. Coming to Turkey in flip-flops and living in a house that did not belong to her, initially Najlaa only had a vague and short-term vision for the future. Nevertheless, she invested the full amount of 1,000 TL in stocking materials and together with 18 interested women they started knitting in her rental home. Given her background and training in psychology, she combined knitting with psychosocial activities on weekends, where they could deepen their relationship and share their experiences, feelings and dreams. “We were offered some funds from relatives living in Qatar, but I wanted us to be self- sufficient”, she explained in a firm voice. After all, even if they did not sell all the products, their own children could make good use of them. The word about knitting workshops spread quickly and more women expressed interest in participating, urging Najlaa to expand the business. In an effort to come up with a sustainable business model, she decided to pay a visit to Kilis Governorate. The aim was to get the Governor’s approval for a charity sale which would help more women to join the community and enable the women to earn some extra cash to support their families. With the help of an online translation application, Najlaa was able to establish a positive rapport with the Governorate and in January 2013, the first charity sale, fully supported by the Governorate, opened its doors in Kilis. One of key gains from the first charity sale – which was soon followed by three others – was increased visibility. Some media channels covered Najlaa’s efforts and funds that would enable the women to access the world through internet soon helped the team to sell all their products online. Gaining experience and reputation not only in Kilis, but also on the world wide web, Najlaa expanded her networks beyond Turkey. In February and May 2014, she was invited for a conference organized by women’s associations in the Balkans. Najlaa’s story inspired a number of organizations who have offered limited funding for Najlaa’s project. Further to repaying the loan from Najlaa’s landlord, the women were able to look for new premises to conduct their activities. Thanks to new funds, Najlaa managed to rent and renovate an old townhouse in Kilis and create a Centre, which breathes colour and optimism. The two main pillars remain psychosocial and vocational/income-generation activities, which include Turkish and Arabic courses, hairdressing, sewing and knitting. Since the opening of the Centre, the knitting production, which forms the base of the Centre’s own income, has expanded to support 45 women. Courses run by 17 trainers accommodate a total of 280 participants. Our guide through the Centre’s facilities noted that while the Centre serves mostly to relatives and friends of the women, the hairdressing salon welcomes up to 4-5 outside clients per day. In addition to psychosocial activities conducted in the Centre, Najlaa also takes part in a project run by Multi-Purpose Community Centres, where women from Öncüpınar or Elbeyli camp are taken to urban Kilis for recreation. Psychosocial activities at Najlaa’s Centre are often a popular first stop on their itinerary. Asked about her hopes and fears, Najlaa admitted that while focusing all of her energy and time on her mission to support fellow women, the greatest challenge she faces is to strike a balance between work and family life. “With every challenge, I thought that this time is the worst, but I knew I had to continue”, she says, explaining that her greatest hope is that the Centre can receive sustainable support. “I feel a lot of pressure and will feel a lot of sorrow if I cannot ensure that the women who put their soul into their work at the Centre cannot make ends meet.” Najlaa explained that she and the other women had to put a lot of effort into starting from scratch, and in this context expressed her sincere gratitude for UNHCR’s modest but much needed in-kind contribution of stationary which will be used to cover some of the basic needs of the Centre. Despite fears, Najlaa remains strong and hopeful. “I have taught myself not to cry and show fear, but to struggle. And I continue teaching women that they should do the same, struggle for their rights and well-being”. .