Sisters’ Stories: ‘Learning to read and write has made my life better’

Each week, the Lotus Flower runs popular adult literacy and language classes at our centres – and it’s always incredibly rewarding to see how these positively impact on the women and girls we support.

Nofa is one woman who says she has benefitted enormously from learning to read and write for the first time in her life. Now aged 34, Nofa first came to the Essyan camp after fleeing her Sinjar home in August 2014. Following the ISIS invasion, she and her family spent eight days in the mountains with no food or shelter. “It was very hard,” she says. “We walked on foot and only had water to keep us alive. It was a terrifying situation, and everyone was scared and crying as the sound of bullets echoed around us.”

Life in the camp has not been easy since; Nofa, her husband and five children all share a small, cramped tent, and they have few possessions or comforts. “It’s boiling hot in summer, with temperatures regularly climbing over 100 degrees, and freezing cold in winter. Living in a tent can be dangerous too, as there are often electrical surges or heavy thunderstorms.”

Unsurprisingly, such a harsh environment began affecting Nofa’s mental health. “With my children at school and my husband working most days, I was often alone at home with nothing to do.”

Despite being illiterate, Nofa was determined to learn new skills for herself, and she began attending the Lotus Flower’s literacy classes two years ago. Having made huge progress since then, she says: “I love it. It takes me a long time to get to the centre from our tent – especially in hot weather or in the snow, but it’s always worth it. Now I can read and write – whereas before I could not even read my doctor’s name on the board.

“I’m determined to keep learning. After all the effort I’ve made, everything has changed for me, and my life is so much better. I’m able to teach my children and help them with their schoolwork, and my new skills mean I can also help my husband. I will hopefully soon be able to get a job myself, which will help me earn an income to support my family for the future.” 

Nofa’s story shows exactly why we are so committed to running these classes – and all the other kinds of education and skills training that we provide. Please do support us if you can, so we can reach hundreds more women and girls just like her…