“A positive impact on the lives of others – even if it is only one person – is enough to know the path and persist it”.
The heroine of our story is a Syrian young woman, who was affected by the situation of the Syrian community in Spain in general, and the lack of interest in this component of Spanish society, especially women. She noted the challenges faced by her compatriots and that their struggle for survival is still going on.
She noted the challenges faced by her compatriots and that their struggle for survival is still going on. This stirred the entrepreneurial spirit within her, translating this into practice by founding Kudwa organization to be an example for her generation in turning challenges into achievements.
Razan Ismail is a Syrian resident in Barcelona, Spain. Founder of Kudwa organization, a Member of the Migration Expert Group at the European Commission, and director of the training Department at New Women Connectors Organisation.
I started the first step when I moved from England to Barcelona, where I felt a lack of support for the Syrian community / Arabic-speaking community in Spain, especially for women. In addition to the lack of decent work opportunities. Without mentioning the difficulties caused by this marginalization in achieving integration into the new society, and understanding the opportunities for progress when the main concern is survival. I created Kudwa organization to create a supportive community among the community members and to exchange experiences and information, and from there, Kudwa organization grew based on the needs of this community.
Kudwa was at first for Syrians in Spain and extended to include several Arabic-speaking nationalities. Because of the great similarity in situations and circumstances, the same challenges and the same goals too.
The difficulties were generally structural and foundational difficulties. The difficulties of registering an organization and obtaining financial support for carrying out meaningful activities. I started volunteering for a long time before getting enough funding to support the activities.
I overcame it with the support of the community we built, and to keep the needs of this community as a compass for making decisions and continuing to work
My piece of advice is that they explore their personal values as a guide to the right path. Follow their intuition and persevere in their work. “A positive impact on the lives of others – even if it is only one person – is enough to know the path and persist it,” she said.
The difference between a successful and an ordinary person is the circumstances. I believe that anyone can be successful if they have the right conditions. It is possible that one of us will not be able to make a difference until having the right conditions. Or rather, until the foundations are available to create the right conditions.
My dreams are to be able to create a community capable of supporting its members, and for everyone in it to feel that they can pursue their dreams with the help of others. A society that grows with the growth of its members. From small projects to the change of policies and laws related to it.
My next goals are to work to increase the representation of our immigrant community at all stages of decision-making and policy-making at the national and European levels and to increase the awareness and involvement of society in Spanish and European political life.
From Uplifting Syrian Women Family, we wish all the success to Razan in her lofty endeavor, and we are sure that we will see Kudwa organization among the most successful organizations that seek to integrate Syrian immigrants into their new communities.
Also read: Baraa Altrn.
♀️ Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative aims at sustainable peace building in Syria through targeting women and providing them with free online courses, workshops, discussion sessions and trainings, with a view to achieving the goals of Gender Equality, Quality Education and Decent Work and Economic Growth, which all fall into the interest of society as a whole and serve the purpose of rebuilding it.