My name is Rahaf Obaid. I was born in Deir Ezzor. We moved to Damascus with my family to have a better education. I started studying Spanish Language and Literature at Damascus University.

Everything stopped after the war began. We came back to Deir Ezzor. Everything became worse when DEAŞ came to Deir Ezzor. So we decided to come to Turkey.

It's like as if I left my soul, my heart, my mind while coming here.

Everything was very difficult when I came to Turkey.  I had to start everything over. A new life, new friends, a new school a new home, a new city…  Everything was uncertain.

When we first came, we settled in Şanlıurfa. We started to do a research about the universities in Turkey in order to continue studying in my department. My friends told me that there is a department of Spanish Language and Literature in İstanbul and Ankara University. I talked to my family and we decided to come to Istanbul. The moment I arrived at İstanbul, I went to the university straight from the bus terminal to apply. I enrolled in the university. As we didn't have a home, we stayed in my friends' house for a while. Then we found a home and settled. There wasn't anything except basic necessities in our house.

All my family had to work. The first months of school were very difficult for me. As the education system in Turkey was very different, I had to learn everything from the start. Therefore, I was in a very difficult situation. Since I couldn't speak Turkish, I had difficulties in daily life. I started to study at Foreign Languages Center. After starting to learn Turkish, everything became easier. I started to communicate with people. I made new friends. I was so lonely and unhappy when I first came. While some of the people didn't want us, didn't like us, some of them embraced us.

I gradually got used to and liked here, the school and the people.

I am very happy here right now.

I have friends, a school and a life.

Turkey is hope for me.

Thank you, Turkey.