The story of Ammoun: making a life through service

Before the war, Ammoun, a young mother of 2 now living in the Turkish city of Mersin, was a regular volunteer at a local hospital in the Syrian city of Idlib. She used to take care of patients and keep them company.

But she also had very personal experience as a caregiver. “My father suffered from a chronic disease, and he was in bed most of the time,” she recalls. “I used to take care of him, but one day, when he was alone, some gangs entered the house and killed him.”

Now, she can use her past experience in her new job in Turkey. Ammoun is one of the Syrian refugees enrolled in WHO’s training programme for home-care staff. Once certified, Ammoun and her fellow trainees will provide culturally sensitive home care for older and disabled Syrian refugees. “I like everything about this job. I had some previous knowledge about home care, but now I’m learning the right way to do it,” she says.

This project is funded by the German Federal Government through KfW Development Bank.