My name is Salam, which means peace in Arabic, and as they say in the Arab world, “Everyone is influenced by their names.” I never liked violence, and in my childhood, I didn’t get into any fights. But above all, I have always had a desire for peace.
Growing up in a village in southern Syria gave me the best environment to dream and explore uncommon things that I wouldn’t have seen in a city. I dreamed about being a professional basketball player on the Syrian national team, so I taught myself how to play. I also wanted to finish my bachelor’s degree and start an institution where students could find their passion and be independent early in life.
As you know, Syria has been under civil war and conflict since 2011. I had to flee my country in 2016. I left everything behind and became a refugee in Sudan. Nowadays, the word refugee brings to mind things like crisis, poverty, hunger, war, financial crisis, a burden on societies, sadness, and misery. I refused to be described as such. Sometimes I got angry, but later I realized being a refugee does not mean being vulnerable. It is just how the media portrays it. It is up to us to decide whether or not we are vulnerable.
I have found my place in the community, particularly among young people. The community I belong to is Kassala city in eastern Sudan. Here, life is simple, peaceful and happy regardless of hardships. People are keen to help each other, especially the youth. I shared with the teenagers my knowledge of basketball and later volunteered in many initiatives about disabilities, capacity building entrepreneurship, and more. I also worked to understand the local culture and language, which was easy because Kassala is a respectful community.
This was the beginning of my new life. A life that I’m proud of and enables me to study and work as a volunteer in many social initiatives and NGOs. I gave my community what I could, but the community taught me to do more than that—to live as a citizen.
This is how I came to realize that I am not a weak person. It changed the way I see things, my personality, and my dreams. Today I dream about a world where humanity transcends nationality, a world free of prejudgment because our identity and all the things that make us who we are is in our hearts. We all belong to this earth and all countries on it.
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