Dania Jalil is from the city of Afrin in Rojava, Syria’s Kurdistan. She now lives in Sweden where she is a travel agent, arranging journeys to hundreds of travelers from across Asia and Western Europe. “The Japanese, Chinese and many Arab tourists from the Gulf rely on me only,” Jalil said.
Jalil was a second year medical student in Damascus when she had to flee Syria following the eruption of the Arab Spring and the rebellion against the Syrian government in March 2011.
She sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region where she wanted to continue her studies but could not because of financial problems.
Disappointed about having to abandon her studies, Jalil began to work. “I worked in a supermarket for a while. I then did some marketing. I liked tailoring the most,” she explained.
Jalil and a friend opened a tailor shop in Erbil. “We were very successful. We had many customers. We even taught other tailors many new fashion designs,” she said.
Jalil speaks Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish, English, and some French. Her language skills were in demand among refugees in the Kurdistan Region. “I was interpreting for many Iraqi Arab refugees in Erbil, especially in Turkish hospitals.”
This led to her leaving tailoring and she got a job as an interpreter with a Turkish medical company, which eventually helped her go to Turkey.
Like many other Syrian refugees living in Turkey, Jalil was tempted to immigrate to Europe. “Family pressure and my own desire encouraged me to immigrate to Europe. The hardship of the roads and losing some of my friends were, however, worse than life in Syria.”
The boat that carried Jalil sank in the waters between Greece and Italy. Some of her friends died but she was rescued by the Italian coastguard.
Jalil stayed for a while in Rome in a house which was run by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) until she had to leave because of political differences.
“The PKK expelled me from the refuge. We were forced to stay on the streets for a month with my brother and cousin,” Jalil said.
She decided to move to Sweden where she lives in now and has founded a tourism company.
“I get nearly 700 tourists a month. I have a work permit, arranging travel for tourists in Sweden who want to travel to Rome, Venice, Vienna, Paris, and Amsterdam.”
Jalil has six employees and is planning to expand her business to include Eastern European destinations.
She has married a Swedish man, Alan Swanson, also a businessman, and the couple helps each other with their respective businesses.
“Dania expanded my work,” Swanson said. “Her intelligence and purity in her work encouraged me. I am sure we will be successful in our married life too.”
from Rudaw http://ift.tt/2kiOdfF
via Defense News
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