When I was seven years old, my father was killed in an airstrike. I still remember the moment we heard the news—how my world changed forever. My father’s death forced me to grow up quickly. As the eldest, I became responsible for my family. We stayed in our home in Raqqa, Syria, even as the bombings intensified, holding onto hope that things would get better. Eventually, however, the destruction became too much, and we had no choice but to leave everything behind.

For three years, we moved from place to place inside Syria—from Raqqa to Deir ez-Zor, and finally to my mother’s village in rural Aleppo. Life was uncertain, and every day was a struggle. In 2021, my uncle in Turkiye suggested that we flee Syria altogether. My mother was reluctant; she didn’t want to leave her family behind. But we knew we needed safety and a future, so we made the difficult journey to Turkiye.

Starting over in Turkiye was harder than I imagined. We lived in a shelter for orphans where the rules were strict, and freedom felt like a distant memory. I couldn’t work, and I had to start my education from scratch because my school certificates from Syria weren’t recognized. It felt like I had lost everything—my home, my father, and even my sense of self.

But then, I found Karam House.

When I first heard about Karam House, I didn’t know what to expect. Friends told me it was a place where you could learn and work on projects, but I never imagined how transformative it would be. From the moment I walked in, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years: hope. Karam House wasn’t just a place to study; it was a place where I could dream again.

One of the studios that impacted me the most was “Emotive Gateways.” It was here that I worked on a project called Emotional Mechanism Doors, which became one of my favorite accomplishments. In this project, I designed doors that moved to represent different emotions like trust, attraction, or indifference. To bring these feelings to life, I carefully chose mechanisms like circular gears, linear gears, and half-circle gears to control the movement of the doors. Each design was crafted using Rhino software, through which I meticulously planned the motion to reflect the emotions I wanted to portray. After finalizing the design, the pieces were laser-cut, and I assembled the doors to create a tangible representation of these emotions. It was a deeply creative and technical process, and seeing the finished product gave me a sense of pride and fulfillment I hadn’t experienced before.

The workshops, the mentors, and the friends I made at Karam House helped me rebuild my confidence. I discovered skills I didn’t know I had—like designing apps, working with technology, and translating emotions into innovative designs. Every project I completed reminded me that I still had a future and that I could still create something meaningful.

Now, as I look ahead, my dreams are clearer. Education is my priority. My mother always says we’d rather go hungry than give up on learning. I want to continue growing, not just for myself but for my family. I want to be an example for my younger siblings and a source of pride for my mother. 

Karam House gave me a second chance at believing and dreaming. Next year will be my last year in high school, and I plan to continue my education and go to college. 

Karam House is a sanctuary, a place where young people like me can find their voice, their purpose, and their strength. I will always carry these lessons I learned here when I return to rebuild Syria. I belong to Syria and dream of returning when things are stable.