Fattah pursues his dreams despite disability

By Nalin Ali

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Despite his disability, Fattah did not stop pursuing his ambitions and dreams. Instead, his disability fueled his determination to work hard and overcome challenges. He achieved a significant part of his dream while adapting to his health condition.

Sami Fattah is a 34-year-old young man who was born in Qamishli, northeast Syria. When he was seven years old, his family had to move to Damascus, he finished his primary and preparatory education there.

Due to family circumstances, Fattah had to quit school during secondary stage. Two years later, he had a life-changing accident in a swimming pool. This incident completely transformed his life. It eventually became a turning point that motivated him to pursue his goals.

The young man sees this incident as a turning point in his life. He used to have dreams. After the accident, however, he felt helpless and doubted his ability to achieve anything.

The unwavering support and positive influence of his friends played a significant role in Fattah’s ability to adapt to his health condition, pursue his dreams, and achieve significant parts of them.

Friends’ impact

“The beginning was really tough for me, and I faced significant challenges for about a year. Honestly, it felt like a completely different world,” Fattah told North Press.

During his difficult and vulnerable situation, his friends tried to help him to overcome his disability as they motivated him to follow his dream and complete his studies.

“Since my childhood, I have aspired to become a psychologist or a psychiatrist,” he told North Press.

Encouraged by his friends’ support, Fattah returned to study. Within a year of the incident, he achieved an outstanding high school diploma. He subsequently enrolled in the Faculty of Education at Damascus University, pursuing a psychology major.

After two years of studying and advancing to the third year, the young man’s university was disrupted by the war in Syria. The area where he lived was heavily affected, forcing him to leave his studies and return with his family to his hometown, Qamishli.

“While Damascus was immersed in war and destruction, the situation in Qamishli was marked by difficult and challenging economic and living conditions,” Fattah said.

“I felt like I had lost everything I had worked hard for. It was like starting from scratch.” He noted.

Overcoming challenges

The young man faced a tough year, spending most of it at home. Despite the challenges, he was determined not to give up and “to continue what I had started.”

Despite everything, Fattah never stopped reading. Even during the power outages in the city, he would buy books and patiently wait for electricity to charge his laptop and mobile phone, so he could download lectures from the internet.

The young man joined an English conversation course at a language learning center in Qamishli for a year and a half. He completed five levels and made the most of his time by learning as much as possible, acquiring new skills and knowledge along the way.

After completing the English conversation courses, Fattah joined Rojava University, which was established by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). He enrolled in the Kurdish Language and Literature program and studied intensively for two consecutive years, graduating with honors.

During this time, the English-Kurdish Translation Institute was founded. Due to his strong Kurdish language skills, Fattah joined the institute and gained experience in translating books from Arabic to Kurdish, as he is skilled in Arabic language, too.

Over the years, he translated two books from Arabic to Kurdish, which are currently being printed. Additionally, he translated a book from Arabic to Kurdish for the Education Foundation of the AANES.

Coincidentally, Fattah discovered the University of the People, an American university. Motivated by his goals, he had a strong interest in studying business administration, leading him to enroll in the university.

He further explained that there are 40 subjects in the department of business administration, “I managed to complete five subjects, and I am still continuing my studies. The university follows an online system.”

In addition to all of this, Fattah is a member of the Kurdish Language Foundation and works as a translator within the Pel Civil Waves Organization, a local NGO based in Northeast Syria. Currently, he is working on translating a book on the philosophy of social sciences from English to Kurdish.

“But despite my achievements, I am still looking forward to study psychology, my great passion.”

“Everyone has a disability, whether physical, intellectual, or mental. As a person with a physical disability, it has not caused any problems or limitations for me,” he concluded.