A mother’s greatest desire is the happiness of her children, no matter where in the world and under whatever circumstances they are.
“Complementary Emergency Social Safety Net (C-ESSN)” Project, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Ministry of Family and Social Services in cooperation with Türk Kızılay, supports also the most vulnerable foreign mothers.
Ms. Resmiye, raising her 3 children at the ages of 5,3 and 1 on her own at a rented apartment in Kahramanmaraş, says she can meet all the basic needs of her children thanks to C-ESSN.
“I wanted my children to grow up in Syria, but…”
Ms. Resmiye, 25 years old, tells about her life journey from Syria to Turkey while hugging her children and says “Conflicts in Jabal al-Zawiya district of Idlib, where I was born and raised, started at the end of 2011. I had recently married then and I thought ‘the war would end and I would raise my children in my motherland.’ But when our house was destroyed as well in 2017, I had nothing left that could keep me resilient. It was inevitable for us to take shelter in Turkey for my children.”
“Turkey has become the first place we have ever seen except for my town”
Ms. Resmiye was 19, her husband was 23, her eldest daughter was 2 and the younger daughter was just a couple of months old when they set off. Ms. Resmiye says “We had no car, nor money. We came at Hatay border on foot.” She tells more about those days as she vividly remembers:
“Even if I am a mother, I understand better now that I was a child back then too. Neither my husband nor I had ever been outside the village and experienced the city life, except for a few trips we took when we were very young. So, Turkey was a very big, different world for us. The first place I had ever seen except for my town was Turkey.”
“Everything became easier thanks to the Turkish people”
When we crossed the border and reached Hatay, people of Antakya who could speak Arabic immediately rushed to our help. From the very first day, they provided us with all the support they could. May Allah be pleased with the Turkish nation. Thanks to them, everything became easier.”
“My neighbors became as close as my relatives”
Saying that they came directly to Kahramanmaraş as she had relatives there, Ms. Resmiye says Turkish neighbors were also as helpful as her relatives. Stating that the neighborhood relations are the same in Turkey and Syria, Ms. Resmiye says, "In Syria, they say, 'If you are in good terms with your neighbor, your neighbor will also be in good terms with you'. While I settling in this house, my neighbors helped us with furniture. All my neighbors embraced me, and I opened my heart to them.”
“Our lives has changed with KIZILAYKART application”
While she was thinking in worry “How would I feed my children and meet their needs” one of her neighbors told her to apply for KIZILAYKART. Ms. Resmiye tells us about how all her worries disappeared as follows:
“We are not dependent on anyone thanks to C-ESSN”
“I was informed that I was accepted to the 'C-ESSN Project' via SMS right after my application. I can't describe how happy I felt. We don't need anyone. I can pay my rent and meet the basic needs of my children. This is already all we need right now. I pray every day for this assistance.
“All I need is that my children grow up without fear”
Ms. Resmiye says she holds on to life thanks to her children and she adds “My dream is the same as almost any mother who has experienced the war” and continues to tell us about her hope with:
“Many of the mothers would dream about their children growing up and having a job. However, I have a simple wish for my children: Let them sleep happily without fear, wake up happily without fear, and grow up in peace. The rest is just niceties.”
