Carrying Hope Across Borders

For ten days, they walked. Across mountains and uncertainty, from Afghanistan to Iran and finally to Türkiye, 26-year-old Nadiye and her husband Safa carried their children toward a single hope: education.

Nadiye studied until the 10th grade. In the 11th grade, family circumstances forced her to leave school behind. She loved drawing. “I always dreamed of becoming a painter,” she says. In Afghanistan, Nadiye worked as an art teacher, encouraging children to express themselves through color and imagination. But as restrictions on girls’ education tightened, she feared that her five-year-old daughter’s future would mirror her own unfinished story.

“I know what it feels like to leave school before you are ready,” Nadiye says quietly. “I don’t want my daughter Nazenin to carry that same regret.”

After entering Türkiye, the father Safa remembers the uncertainty. “I was thinking only about my children. What kind of future would they have?”, he recalls.

Following a challenging time, another Afghan family told them about Association for Social Development and Aid Mobilization (SGDD-ASAM). With limited information and no clear direction, they decided to reach out for support.

Through the UNICEF-supported child protection programme, implemented with generous funding from the European Union (EU) through its Humanitarian Aid Operations, the family received counselling on their rights and services available in Türkiye. They were referred to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management and supported throughout the registration process to obtain the necessary documents. With this documentation in hand, the family’s two eldest sons, Ferhat (12) and Mehdi (15) were able to enroll in school for the 2025–2026 academic year. 

The family struggled to rent a home and faced language barriers while raising young children, so they needed additional support. After counselling and referrals, they accessed the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) funded by the EU in January 2026 to help meet basic needs

“Before, we didn’t know where to go,” Safa says. “Now we understand the system better. We know who to ask.”

Economic hardship has not disappeared. Safa works in construction when work is available, but winter months bring unemployment. Nadiye takes irregular kitchen jobs to help support the family.  Still, there is a sense of stability that did not exist before.

As part of the programme’s holistic approach, Nazenin participated in psychosocial support sessions designed to help young children express their emotions, build resilience, and adapt to new environments through play-based activities. Mehdi and Ferhat attended awareness sessions on the prevention of gender-based violence, learning about respect, equality, and positive social norms. Nadiye joined sessions on reproductive health and digital parenting.

“I learned how to manage screen time and how to be more aware as a parent in the digital age,” she explains. “Before, they could spend two or three hours on screens. Now we sit together and draw.”

In the evenings, paper and pencils cover the kitchen table. Nadiye teaches Ferhat and Nazenin how to sketch flowers, houses, and mountains that resemble the ones they once crossed. Mehdi wants to become a boxer. Ferhat dreams of being a football player. Nazenin wants to be a police officer. “I want to protect people,” she says. Then she adds proudly, “And I draw like my mother.” Sometimes Nazenin asks, “Mama, why didn’t you become a painter?”

Nadiye smiles gently. “Maybe you will.”

At UNICEF-supported children and family centre social workers emphasize that while every family’s journey is unique, the principle guiding their work remains constant “We manage every case based on the best interests of the child,” one staff member explains. “We look at risks, but also at strengths. We do not make services conditional on documentation. If a child needs psychosocial support, we begin. At the same time, we guide families through registration and referrals so they can access education, health care, social and legal assistance.”

Through individualized case management and coordinated referrals, children under temporary and international protection and those on the move are supported to access comprehensive and uninterrupted protection services. Interpretation support helps overcome language barriers, while continuous follow-up ensures that progress—whether in school attendance, emotional well-being or social adaptation—is sustained over time.

“After the counseling sessions, I feel more confident,” Nadiye says. “When there is a problem, I don’t panic like before. I know there are solutions.”

Now she shares this knowledge with other families in her community. “When you know your rights,” she says, “fear becomes smaller.”

This is the story of a mother whose education was interrupted, but whose determination was not. Because of sustained, flexible and child-centered support, Nazenin is not only dreaming about her future, but she is also going to attend school, build friendships and grow up with choices her mother once feared she would never have.

This programme helps vulnerable refugee and migrant children, especially those who are unaccompanied or separated—access education and protection services. Reaching 16,199 children and 6,271 adults, it provides life-saving support, including child protection and gender-based violence services, while strengthening referrals along migration routes. By bringing together key ministries and partners, it ensures a more coordinated and effective response for children most in need.