Hear from our Media and Graphic Design Course Participant Shama

Shama Elias Hassan 23 years Kabarto Camp, Duhok (Internally Displaced Person) “Shama did not choose to stop her education or start working as a cook in a restaurant but she chose to make lemonade of the lemons that life gave her. The Media Graphics and Design Course at Weh Center made her realize that it might not be easy to learn something new, but it is possible and achievable with effort. Today she uses her new knowledge about video editing, Photoshop etc. to help advertise her creations to the rest of the world” Shama was unable to continue her education, after ISIS attacked her city. 12 members of her family were murdered by the terrorist group and for a long time survival was the only concern of the family. In spite of such terrible circumstances and her fragile mental health, Shama had no option but to find work to support herself and her family. She was able to get a job at a restaurant as a cook. Constantly trying to develop her skills or find a way to educate herself, she decided to enroll in the Center for an educational course. However, she got to know there was an opportunity for Media and Graphics Design Training. Keeping in mind that she always wanted to advertise her food on social media, and present beautiful photos, she enrolled for this course instead. At the start she wasn’t familiar with the computer and the various editing software but by the end of the course she made a business card, edited videos and took photos that looked very professional as compared to her previous amateur shots. This has enabled her to publicize her skills and creations better and boosted her self-esteem at work tremendously.