Allowed to dream again

Growing up as a young teenager outside of Aleppo, Baida dreamed of learning how to sew and becoming a fashion designer. At this time, she and her family lived a happy and peaceful life on their farm.

When the war started, Baida and her family moved farther east to escape the fighting and to continue their lives as normal. But life was hard and the fighting followed them to their new city. Her father decided to go to Lebanon to find work whilst the family tried to resume their lives in Syria.

However, being so far away from their father was hard and they followed him to Beirut. Situated in an isolated location between the city and the mountains, attending school was not an option. The monotony of being at home was unbearable after being in school for many years. She missed school and her friends. Most importantly, she missed her dream of being a designer.

From Syria, Baida had brought her sketchbook full of designs. It served as a reminder of her dreams. Her dream reignited, Baida began to search for work in Lebanon working at a tailor or in a textile shop. But her young age, lack of training and isolated location of her house made it impossible to find a job.

After some time, Baida heard about an organisation, SB OverSeas, offering professional services training. Given the proximity of the centre to her house, she was able to attend classes where she learned how to knit and sew. She would practice daily what she had learned at home. Soon she was designing her own dresses with the help of her mother.

The teachers at the centre learned of Baida’s passion. To celebrate her commitment, they gifted her with a sewing machine. Now she could create dresses from her very own designs.

Baida soon spent all her free time designing dresses and sewing dresses for friends and relatives and. Her dream was finally beginning to become a reality.

As Baida’s skills increased, so did her self-confidence. Through her drawings and designs, she could express her inner thoughts and unexpressed feelings. Eager to learn more, she began to take other classes at the centre including cosmetology and accessory-making. Her favorite class was knitting. This skill allowed her to create even more different types of clothes and dresses.

With all her persistence and success, Baida has a message for other girls her age:

“Despite all the hard things, don’t despair. Confront them, and follow the dream that you dream of. Work through the hardships to your biggest aspirations, and you will achieve everything.”

The conflict paused her dream. But with the help of the team at SB OverSeas, Baida began to dream again.