In July 2022, I visited the Karam Houses — community centers for Karam’s in-person programming — in both Reyhanli and Istanbul. 

When you enter the gates, you see clean, neat, well-kept spaces that are tastefully decorated to serve as a sanctuary inside and in the gardens. The atmosphere in the Houses and among the Karam team is welcoming, inviting, and professional. Everything is done with purpose, and that purpose is building an environment where refugee communities feel safe, learn, exercise creativity, receive encouragement, and feel free to dream big. 

I had the opportunity to talk with several students. All of them spoke about the war in Syria, the impact it has had on them and their families, their challenges and hardships, and their own experiences as individuals with refugee status in Turkey. But they spoke most of all about their career aspirations.

These students’ determination and ambition to be the best in their studies is driven by two factors: (1) an awareness that education is a critical path to a life of dignity, and (2) the atmosphere of hope, of imagining a bold future, and of making that future a reality that is built into the programs and opportunities at Karam House. These students are confident that they will be able to adapt to changes in their lives. 

They are convinced (and so am I) that their experiences at Karam House have given them the confidence to look beyond today, to look forward towards their better futures, with hope, determination, and strong ambitions to be tomorrow’s leaders. They are realistic about the challenges and obstacles that they are going to face along the way. But they feel secure that they have the safety, the comfort, and support of Karam, who will walk with them through those difficult times, and that a good education is their passport to a successful life, wherever that may be.

If you want to witness the strength and resilience of tomorrow’s leaders, look at the Karam House students who are rising stronger than ever from the ugliness of war, the indignity of displacement, and the badgering from others “to go back home.” Home is going to be wherever these future leaders land, thrive, build, and improve the societies that are smart enough to embrace them, give them opportunities, and show them respect. Karam’s programs, team, and community of mentors, along with the environment of the Karam Houses is that first place. I urge others to welcome these students with open arms.

We at Reaching Across Borders (RAB) are honored to partner with Karam Foundation to continue to improve the lives of Syrian refugees. 

About Karam Foundation:

Karam is a foundation for the future of Syria. Karam Foundation invests in young Syrian refugees and their families, providing the tools, opportunities, and community to help them build a better future for themselves and their communities.

About Reaching Across Borders:

Reaching Across Borders provides mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to refugee and displaced communities globally through education, direct services, research, and advocacy. We help people to learn how to navigate emotions, better relate to others, and develop resilience-building techniques, to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing. Our goal is to empower them to realize their full potential and abilities so that they can make positive contributions to their communities. We empower communities by building capacity within them to provide mental health services for vulnerable communities, by community members. 

Please Donate:

Every donation no matter how big or small goes a long way in the environments where we serve. For Karam, please click here, and here for Reaching Across Borders to make a donation.

Thank you.

Raiza Kolia

Co-founder and Executive Director of RAB