Refugee children in Turkey celebrate Children’s Day

Turkish children are not the only ones celebrating Children's Day in Turkey on April 23, which Mustafa Kemal Atatürk dedicated to all children of the world, but also children from Syria and different nationalities, who came to Turkey fleeing wars in their countries, also enjoy this day.

Syrian children benefitting from Al Farah Child and Family Support Centers in Gaziantep, Adana and İzmir, where the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM) is engaged in an ongoing partnership with UNICEF, talked about their dreams for the future.

'Children's Day for all children, regardless of religion, language, race, gender'

Diala, a 15-year-old, is just one of the 425,000 refugee children who have benefited from the Al Farah centers operational since 2016. When she came to Turkey a few years ago, she was out of school at the time and was first supported to become a part of the Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP). Diala is now looking forward to the first day of school she will attend with the help of the Support for School Enrolment Programme, which is being implemented with the collaboration of UNICEF and ASAM.

Reavealing her dreams of becoming a pilot, Diala said: "We talked a lot about the future in the empowerment programs. My first goal is to start school. I believe I am lucky now because I have a chance to achieve my dreams. I dream of an action-packed life rather than living in a routine. That's why I want to be a pilot," she says. Diala also started taking piano classes at Al Farah and dreams of standing on her own two feet.

Diala points out the fact that Children's Day is for all children, regardless of religion, language, race, or gender.

"On this day, we not only have fun but also...