Amina was born in Aleppo, Syria. Although there were signs of war during her childhood, Amina felt safe with her family. But when the house next door was hit by a shell, the family fled.
They smuggled themselves to Istanbul, Turkey, where her father opened a grocery store. School in Istanbul cost money, so only Amina’s younger siblings were enrolled, and her schooling ended at 4th grade. At 9 she began to work alongside her mother. She was sad, but realized there were other young girls in her situation.
Amina came to love Istanbul and thought of it as home. The family had applied for resettlement upon arrival in Istanbul, but heard they would be going to the USA only 2 weeks before they had to leave. Amina was not happy to leave Istanbul, but since coming to Rhode Island in April (2022), she has found that people treat her with respect and want to help her.
Amina likes the work at Beautiful Day–she is learning to be part of a team and learning new skills. She does not focus on her difficult past, and approaches her life with a desire to get involved and to learn. Her family is her main focus–as long as they are okay, she is happy.
Amina wants to gain proficiency in English, get a part-time job, and attend college. Her supervisors remark on her great attitude and how well she will do once she has more language. We all agree Amina’s future is bright!
