Refugee Week through Nariman’s eyes
As refugees from Syria with no rights and no future, my family and I struggled with mental health. To say life was uncertain and unbearable is an understatement. There was a constant struggle that we couldn’t escape. It was impossible to see any light at the end of the tunnel.
Fast forward six months and I’m now living in the UK, working for an exceptional employer. Here, I can rebuild my dreams, one brick at a time.
Depictions of refugees
As a person with first-hand experience of fleeing a devastating war, observing how it has been depicted through the media has been heartbreaking. Watching the portrayal of helpless people as ‘numbers’ and ‘masses’ rather than human beings, and as ‘lacking and backwards’ rather than ‘educated and accomplished’ is unacceptable.
I never thought I’d ever be a refugee - let alone be celebrating Refugee Week - but I believe that everything happens for a reason. I always had a completely different idea of what my career would look like. Never did I imagine that I would be where I am today.
My daily motivation
As a Displaced Talent Ambassador (for Build A Career - part of PSR Solutions) I now have the chance to contribute to breaking misconceptions and represent the true voices of innocent people.
This has become the reason why I wake up in the morning and what motivates me every day.
Being able to finish my day knowing that I’ve played a part, big or small, in changing someone’s life is one of the best feelings in the world. Thanks to Talent Beyond Boundaries, I now have a job that lets me achieve this and I could not be more thankful for it.
What does Refugee Week mean to me?
Refugee Week represents a stepping stone; where I was, versus what I have become. It’s a personal measure of the progress I aspire to achieve in helping others regain their lives back and live a life with respect and dignity – a life they deserve.
As a Displaced Talent Ambassador, Refugee Week is a celebration of our resilience, adaptability, and our strength to carry on. It’s a time to be proud of our scars, our growth and healing. The best is yet to come.
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Nariman Alkaddour is a talented sales and marketing professional, and a Syrian refugee. She and her family were living displaced before she registered on TBB’s Talent Catalog and was hired by PSR Solutions. They are now happily settled in the UK.
