Subaz Ali is a doctor because the ISHR enabled her to study medicine

“I completed my secondary education in the Kurdistan Region with a grade of 98 per cent and began studying general medicine at the University of Mosul. When I was unable to continue my studies due to my financial situation, the ISHR (International Society for Human Rights) stood by me, especially Ms. Katrin Bornmüller. For this, and for everything the ISHR has done for Yazidi refugees since 2014, I would like to express my deepest gratitude,” said Subaz Ali in a video message to the ISHR annual meeting in Bonn in April.

Subaz Ali is a doctor today. Since 2014, she has been living with her mother and six siblings in two tents in the Al-Sheikhan camp. Her starting point was marked by hardship and poverty, yet she held fast to her dream of studying medicine. She studied diligently and graduated with good grades. However, Yazidi women did not have the same opportunities when it came to university scholarships. During a humanitarian aid distribution at a university, ISHR representative Khalil al-Rasho was approached by students about their difficult situation: Many, especially Yazidi female students, suffered from the psychological consequences of persecution by ISIS and were now also traumatised by their precarious financial situation. Since the massive withdrawal of international organisations from refugee camps over the past two years, where students could more easily and fairly earn extra money, many now have to work in fields under physically demanding conditions. They feel that employers, aware of their situation, are exploiting them for as little as seven euros a day, but they are powerless to do anything about it due to a lack of alternative job opportunities. Some have said they have even considered suicide.

Six years ago, the ISHR (International Society for Human Rights) accepted several students with evidence of good academic performance into a scholarship program. Subaz Ali is the second to complete her studies successfully. And what is particularly important to the ISHR: Subaz Ali is not going abroad for better earning opportunities, but is staying in her homeland of Kurdistan, serving as an anchor for her fellow refugees and thus a partner in rebuilding her home. The ISHR wants to promote precisely this attitude and hopes for your support. The ISHR contributes €500 per semester to cover living expenses, tuition fees, advanced courses, books, and other study materials for students who live in refugee camps but are nevertheless working diligently towards a top-notch degree and are willing to document their achievements.