DILUCAN BOZÎ

Kobanî- The spark of the Revolution in Rojava started in Kobanî on July 19 and it spread across NE Syria. After the revolution, women began to found women’s organizations. Syrian Free Women’s Foundation is one of these organizations. The foundation was founded in the Cizre region in 2014 and spread across NE Syria.

The main purpose of the foundation is to stand by women in every part of life. The foundation also carries out works for children’s education and psychology. It organizes training courses, such as tailoring and language courses for women to offer them employment opportunities. It also organizes seminars on women’s health and violence against women. The foundation also has a Keskesor Area, an area to learn English, Arabic, and Kurdish, and a special section for children who lost their parents in the war.

In 2015, the preparations for a kindergarten were started by the foundation, and the kindergarten was officially opened in 2018. This project is developed not just for the children of Kobanî but also for all children living in the West, North, and East Syria. 27 children from Cizre, Afrin, Aleppo, and Kobanî attended the opening ceremony of the kindergarten.  There are currently 13 Arab and Kurdish children in the kindergarten. The foundation has four committees; health, education, culture, and art and social committees.

The name of the Syrian Free Women's Foundation was “Rojava Free Women’s Foundation” in the beginning but after Ari Center, affiliated to the foundation, was officially opened on February 26, 2020, in Sirin city; its name was changed into the Syrian Free Women's Foundation. The foundation has offices in Dêrin, Hesekê, Tebqa, Raqqa, Dirbesiyê, and Kobanî now. The foundation carries out works for women living in Aleppo and Damascus.

The foundation held its first congress on June 18. As NuJINHA, we spoke to the members and managers about the projects and works of the foundation.

She is both manager and teacher

Diyana Ehmed is one of the Syrian Free Women’s Foundation managers and a computer teacher. “The people aged between 15 and 35 can join our 2-3 hour courses every day. After three months, we give them certificates so that they can work elsewhere,” Diyana told us. The women and children also take language courses; the language courses are free for them. The foundation also opens a free tailoring course this year. “We also hold seminars to raise awareness of women about their health and violence against women,” Diyana said that children attend language courses during vacations.

Women should know their health

Lara Himêdi is a member of the health committee of the foundation. “We give theoretical information about women’s health because there is no center to give women such information. Everyone should learn first aid. Pregnant women need to know what they should do when they have a problem. Women tell their neighbors what they learn here.”

Women learn many things

Medina Qadir is a tailoring teacher. She believes that every woman should work to get their economic freedom. “I have to look after my children and I come here to learn how to sew. We learn many things here,” said Enzilxe Bozan Oso, one of the course attendees.

Ari Center

Emine Şêx Elî, one of the managers of the Ari Center in Sirin city, told us that the Ari Center provides great opportunities for Arab women. Before the opening of the center, the women had difficulties going out in the city. “The society in Sirin is a feudal society. Women face many difficulties here. But after the opening of the center, many women visit our center and they attend our works.”