According to official figures, more than 30,000 people with disabilities live in the Autonomous Administration regions of Northern and Eastern Syria.

Before the Rojava Revolution, disability often meant social exclusion. With the revolution, initiatives for people with disabilities emerged.

The Nûdem association was founded in 2021, and promotes the participation of people with disabilities  through education, enlightenment and material and immaterial support. A networking and organizing conference will take place on 23 October.

In this ANF interview, Nûdem's spokeswoman, Davyan Mehmûd, spoke about the association's work. She explained that the association's main goals include creating sensitivity in society, training and supporting people with disabilities also involving their families.

Municipalities as centers of education

There is a system of council democracy in Northern and Eastern Syria. The smallest unit of self-government is the municipality. It consists of fifty to over a hundred households and represents the most important institution of self-government. The municipalities are also places of education.

Davyan described Nûdem's work in this context: "When the association was founded, the number of people with disabilities living in Northern and Eastern Syria was determined. The municipalities then worked on educating and raising awareness in society. People with disabilities previously had no place in society. They were unable to participate in daily life and integrate into society. Often, families themselves isolated their children from society. Often they did not support the children but were ashamed of them. However, we can now say that this situation could be improved by educating society and the families of people with disabilities through the educational work of experts and psychologists in the municipalities. Families turn to Nûdem to receive help and solidarity and to be trained in dealing with people with disabilities."

Job opportunities created

Davyan said that there were doctors and professionals who provided educational counseling and psychological counseling and added: "The sine qua non for a conscious and sensitive society is education. For this reason, our first step was to start educational work to raise awareness in society. Communication and awareness-raising are at the forefront of the training courses we carry out in communities and in families with disabled people. People with disabilities receive comprehensive training. You can receive technical training, for example, in using computers and for manual skills. Basic language training is also offered. As a result of these educational offers, either a work area is created for them, depending on the respective conditions, or they can volunteer in our center."

Inclusion in society

Davyan explained that they are in direct contact with people with disabilities and their families and said: "Many of those affected have never left their homes. Our psychological counselors go to the families and discuss things with them. We accept all people who want to come to our center. We do not want them to be marginalized or isolated in any way in society. It is our job to engage and provide education of children who cannot go to school. It is necessary to show this sense of responsibility throughout life.

Project of a center for physiotherapy and education

New projects are initiated according to needs. In particular, new buildings should be constructed, taking into account the living conditions of people with disabilities. We have submitted our stance, suggestions and projects on this topic to many places and are waiting for future support. Help from international institutions and organizations is very limited. There are more than 30,000 people with disabilities in our region. The number is quite high. The desired projects cannot be realized with regional support alone. That's why we need the support of international institutions and organizations. We want to create awareness in this direction. Our priority is to open a physiotherapy and training center. We urgently need support so that this project can be realized. In addition, handicrafts and works of art by people with disabilities are exhibited every year. This also serves to integrate them into society. People see what they can do, they are proud of themselves, and society’s view of them changes."

'Volunteering is essential'

Nûdem has received great interest and support from society, Davyan said, adding: "We have volunteer members in every city. Through these members, we reach people where they live and ensure their support. We will also be hosting camps in the near future. Our aim is to empower people with disabilities through our support. Many of those affected had little self-confidence and thought that they were incapable of doing anything and had no opportunity to participate in social life. Nûdem showed them what they could do and boosted their confidence. Organizing family and society, raising their awareness and changing their perspective have given people with disabilities self-confidence. Many people who have had self-confidence issues because of how their families and society view them have overcome this situation.

Volunteering to support these people is essential. There is a lot of need but little outside support. Almost everything is provided by the institutions and organizations in the region. Our goal is to create living spaces for people with disabilities, but both the war conditions and the region's financial undersupply inevitably hinder this development. Society should support people with disabilities and make them feel like it is on their side."

'Sensitivity must be created'

Fehîme Esed, member of the Nûdem Education Committee, said: "Our priority is to raise awareness among families. We want to enable them to respond to the needs of people with disabilities. We address all parts of society, not just the affected families. The higher the sensitivity in society, the better all people can be included in life and integrate."

Education from language to crafts

Fehîme explained that the educational programs range from language courses in Kurdish, Arabic and English to vocational training, arts and crafts, computer jobs and technical skills, and described the curriculum: "The courses offered are tailored according to the age group. In addition, each person's health status is taken into account before the educational program begins. An individual plan and a group plan are created. Art classes are also organized. The resulting products are presented to the public at exhibitions. This is how people discover their own talents. They develop the feeling of being able to create something themselves."

Conditions of war are an obstacle to reconstruction

Fehîme Esed pointed out that roads, schools, hospitals, etc. dated back to the Baath regime period. Therefore, they were built without taking the need for accessibility into account. Change is difficult to bring about: "We are in a permanent state of war. It is difficult to take the needs of people with disabilities into account when rebuilding. It is not easy to remake a region. It becomes even more difficult when it happens under wartime conditions."

"I realized my dream here"

17-year-old Newroz Ehmed has been living with a disability since birth.

She said: “Nûdem offered me the opportunity to train. I dreamed of working with a camera and received relevant training and training on many topics related to this; this is how my skills were developed. Before I came to the center, I was tired, hopeless and had no joy in life. But thanks to Nûdem, I clung to life. I have been a volunteer member for about a year. I no longer feel disabled and I can say that I have gained awareness and peace through the training. I have a physical disability, but I have come to the conclusion that I can do it. Now I help and care for other people with disabilities."

"I have overcome the barriers"

Mihemed Ebbas (22) said that because of his disability, he was previously unable to even leave the house and had no contact with society.

He said: "Society's view of us was very problematic, especially the attitude of my friends. With the founding of Nûdem, society was noticeably sensitized. People contacted us and we were enabled to participate in life. I didn't have any friends before, but things are different now. My attitude towards myself and my perspective on life have changed. I realized that a physical disability is not a hindrance and that I can do anything. I have overcome the barriers and feel comfortable supporting other people with disabilities."