About Us
We can only understand each other, when we know the other’s story.
There are over 3 million refugees living in Turkey. When we turn on the news in Turkey and look at international media all we see and hear are numbers of how many refugees are in Turkey or how many are fleeing to Europe from Turkey. By lumping these people into numbers it distances ourselves from understanding, Who they are ? What is your story?
Call them what you want refugees, migrants, at the end of the day they, just like you and me, human. They are seeking a better life, and live. It’s personal life experiences that touches people to create empathy, which reminds them they too share the same experiences in different forms and ways.
Project W.A.I.T (Why am I in Turkey) aims to publish 120 stories of individuals from various cities in Turkey. By sharing the stories of refugees in Turkey to the world, we hope that it will create bridges and also combat the negative outlook at people who are seeking a better life. Only when we understand each other, only then we can work to build a common future.
W.A.I.T is a project run by the On Watch Associaction.
If you would like to share your story sign up by clicking here.
Who are we? This is our story:
Growing up in New York with my parents, family always spoke about a country they were from, and they always shared stories that made them happy. They always had the hope that one day they would be moving back to the country of their birth. In 2009 it was their son that made a decision that would alter his life forever. I was a History Teacher, and after the 2008 crisis, I was left without a job due to the hiring freeze. I always wanted to move to Turkey at some point of my life. I had no idea what I wanted to do or what was waiting for me. It happened sooner than I thought it would. I could have stayed and done something but every sign was pointing for me to go to Istanbul and I did. June 1, 2009 I was in Istanbul, where I met amazing people, completed my masters, worked in great institutions, founded an NGO leading projects that have left an impact in Turkey.
ferdiozsoy.com Twitter: Ferdi Ferhat Özsoy Linkedin: Ferdi Ferhat Özosy
I was born in 1991 in Balıkesir and spent my life there until I moved to Istanbul for university education. I graduated from Galatasaray University, Department of Political Science in 2015. My undergraduate thesis was on the city movement, more specifically in the Istanbul context for the defending the regional green areas. Now I am a master student in Mimar Sinan University, department of sociology. During my education, I am working in a NGO which focuses on increasing the contribution of young citizens to the municipality’s decision making processes. When I am researching for my undergraduate thesis, I recognized that social mobilization should be supported by active participation to the government decision processes. Thus, I am believe that young citizens should be aware of what they can force the municipalities to do, not just by protests but participating with the governmental institutions. Now I am currently working on my master thesis where I am searching the how migrants establish or maintain their social capital in the context of their residences where they are living close.
Linkedin: Asya Durmaz
I am thoughtful, peaceful young man who was born and raised in Aleppo, Syria. I grown up in an ordinary family from the old city and spent most of my life there where all the ancient walls and historical landmarks are placed. In 2015 I graduated from Aleppo University as a Mechanical and Materials Engineer, though I am interested in many issues that does not have to do anything with that! History, Art, Cultures, Music and Languages are topics I am into. I play 4 musical instruments. People and food take big spots in my life. Old and unique things & places, distinction, originality, pure nature, and beauty are things I appreciate. I am interested in making the world a better place to live with all the differences it has. Since 2013, I involved working in the civil sector and volunteered in many local organisations and initiatives that keen about education, development and peaceful coexistence back there in Aleppo, and co-founded our initiative there. I left Aleppo and came to Istanbul in mid-2016. I did not expect to stay in Istanbul, but I fell in love with this city. Now I work in many places and communities that make a social impact here in Istanbul. Working on W.A.I.T project is going to be an experience I will never forget, because it is giving me an opportunity to know about extraordinary people and inspiring stories that I would never hear about them.
Linkedin: Sobhi Mouazzen
I am from the Netherlands and I live in Istanbul because I love it here. I study Turkish Studies. Last year I lived here for half a year for an exchange program at university and now I do my internship at Dialogue for Common Future Association. Meanwhile I am working on my master’s thesis. Turkey has a special place in my heart, not only because of my study interests, but also because of the energy of people, their devotion. Every day I try to learn a little bit more about this huge and diverse country. It is in contrast with Netherlands in so many aspects, but yet I consider both countries as my home. Working on project WAIT is a whole new thing for me. I get to know amazing people, and I hear amazing, moving stories. I am so thankful for being part of the team and I think together we can make a little change. A little awareness.
Linkedin: Lisette Scholtens
I was born in 1993 in İstanbul and spent all my life in this city .I graduated from Marmara University, Department of Psychological Counseling and Guidance in 2015. I found myself in the midst of a volunteer work in Palestine while I was worrying about the uncertainty of my future as almost every new graduate feels after graduation. That was the moment that led me to decide what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be in the rest of my life. The things I have seen and experienced there made me see things happening around me that I was not aware before. So that I wanted to be a person who is aware what is going on around, touches the life of the people and make a good impact in their lives. After that, I started meeting with local and international NGOs and social projects in Istanbul and volunteered in different institutions. I am currently doing my master in the field of Psychological Services in Education in Istanbul University and still continue volunteering.
“Why are you here?” a question I’ve been asked one too many times since I first came to life. In 2001, I came out of my mother’s womb, doomed to a life as a Syrian boy, immigrant, outlander, but before all, as a human. I had started to become aware of my life at an early age in Saudi Arabia, where my dad decided to work. I was the most naive to think that “Arabs are united,” but who’s to blame? Everybody looks for their benefit. I was rejected for almost 10 whole years while living in Saudi Arabia by the society and the administration there. Every Summer, I’d have my hopes of being somewhere I belong with people who accept me broken. Called a petty Syrian in SA, and a ignorant Saudi in Syria. After all we were already experiencing in Saudi Arabia and the war outbreak in Syria, Saudi Arabia started discreetly laying off and kicking Syrians out of the country for absolutely no reason. We were one of them. Upon coming to Turkey, I decided to hide some parts of my life in hopes that I’d be accepted and free of prejudice for absurd things. Being in such a situation, everyone would — including me — expect myself a depressed, sad kid, but Alhamdulillah I’ve had a smile upon my face my whole life, and all the cruelty of this world didn’t stop me from achieving my goals and being ambitious. Currently I’m in love with Turkey and I finally found a place I feel like I belong to. Also, I’m volunteering in some NGOs and trying to live the best of my life. I’m simply and briefly a human.
