Curiosity Knows No Boundaries: Teymullah’s Journey of Getting Back to Learning

With a curious mind, Teymullah is navigating his way through life’s challenges with the power of education.

UNICEF
Teymullah evlerinin önünde poz veriyor.
UNI698836/Kiliç
11 December 2024

AdanaTürkiye –"I am always curious," says 13-year-old Teymullah, his eyes sparkling with wonder as he speaks. "As I learn new things, I get more curious, ask more questions, and want to learn even more and more."

For Teymullah, learning isn’t just a way to pass the time—it’s a way to keep his dreams alive. He is the third child in the Satar family, who fled Syria in 2014 and found a new home in Adana, Türkiye. His father, Mahmood who was a tailor in Syria, resumed his work as a tailor in Adana to support the family. But in 2023, a devastating earthquake struck Türkiye, further exacerbating the financial hardships that the family was already facing. In the midst of all these challenges, Teymullah’s health began to deteriorate. At first, his parents thought he might be simply in need of some vitamins, but a visit to the doctor revealed something far more serious—Teymullah was diagnosed with kidney failure. His illness required dialysis three times a week. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, for three hours, Teymullah sits at the dialysis center, reading books to pass the time during his long sessions.

The disease, and the treatments that come with it, forced him to step back from school. Crowded environments, like classrooms, posed a serious risk to his health. His curiosity and passion for learning are boundless, but his condition made regular school attendance impossible. 

Cudi (11), Mahmut (40), Abdulkadir (17), Teymullah (13), Muhammed (16) evlerinin salonunda oturuyor.
UNI687412/Kiliç

Cudi (11), Mahmood (40), Abdulkadir (17), Teymullah (13), Muhammad (16) in their living room.

His father, Mahmood, speaks with determination and hope. "First of all, we reached out to SGDD – ASAM, UNICEF’s implementing partner, because of Teymullah’s health condition. We wanted to see if they could help.” The family received health consultation and support by Support to School Enrolment (SSE) outreach teams during Teymullah’s visits to the hospital. “Everything is for the children. Health is the most important thing, of course. But once health is secured, education comes next. Without education, how will they have a future? Education is always important. It’s the key to children’s dreams."

The Support to School Enrolment (SSE) Programme, designed by UNICEF stepped in to assist. Through SSE workers, Teymullah was able to receive his notes from school despite being physically absent. His teachers sent him the books and notes from the lectures so that he would be able to study his lessons at home, and special permission was granted for him to only attend exams in person, minimizing the risk to his health.

A while later, the family reached out to the SSE team once more, explaining that Teymullah was struggling to keep up with lessons on his own. In response, the SSE team researched available education options and provided guidance on home-based learning. They supported the family throughout the process, helping them communicate with both the school and the hospital to gather the necessary documentation for a health report. Thanks to the SSE team's efforts, Teymullah was granted a "Home Education Report," allowing him to continue his studies at home. For the second semester this year, Teymullah will receive personalized lessons from a home education teacher through regular, scheduled visits as part of the SSE Programme.

13 yaşındaki Teymullah, yatak odasında matematik çalışıyor.
UNI687398/Kiliç

13 years old Teymullah studying Math in his bedroom.

Through this support, the programme ensured that Teymullah could keep learning despite the challenges he faced. Teymullah’s passion for learning is most evident when he talks about one subject in particular: mathematics. "I’m not completely sure yet," he says, his voice filled with excitement and possibility, "but I really love math. It feels like math never ends— the more I learn, the more new and different problems and equations come up." His eyes sparkle as he imagines the future. "My dad really wants me to become a pharmacist, and I could do that, but I also think I could be a mathematics professor. Maybe I can do both, why not?"

His father smiles at the thought. Mahmood has always believed that education is the gateway to a better future, and Teymullah’s dreams of being both a pharmacist and a professor show just how far his determination can take him. "I want him to be happy and healthy," Mahmood says. "I want him to follow his dreams, whatever they are."

Teymullah ve Cudi, Cudi'nin odasında ders çalışıyorlar.
UNI698837/Kiliç
Cudi ve Teymullah, Cudi'nin odasında tahtaya yazı yazıyorlar.
UNI69883/Kiliç

"When my sister Cudi comes home from school, I really enjoy helping her with her lessons, especially math. On this board in Cudi’s room, I teach her. I pretend to be the teacher, and she pretends to be my student. Maybe in the future, when I’m a mathematics professor, I’ll tell people that my first student was my sister Cudi—who knows?"

With thanks to the generous financial contribution from the European Union Humanitarian Aid, Teymullah’s story is part of a larger effort by UNICEF and ASAM to provide educational support to vulnerable children, especially refugees and those impacted by disasters. Since 2019, the Support to School Enrolment programme has made a significant impact on refugee children’s access to education in Türkiye. As of October 2024, the programme has successfully enrolled over 132,000 out-of-school children—ensuring that they can continue their education even in the most challenging of circumstances.

For children like Teymullah, the programme is not just about attending school. It’s about reclaiming the right to learn, to grow, and to dream. It’s about providing hope in the form of education—hope for a brighter, healthier, and more promising future.

And for Teymullah, who dreams of both solving equations and helping others through medicine, education is the bridge to everything he wants to be. He may be facing difficult circumstances, but his passion for learning and his resilience show that the sky is the limit for this young dreamer.

"I’ll keep learning," he says, his voice full of hope, "because I’m certain that one day, I’ll accomplish something extraordinary.”

Üstte: Teymullah ve Cudi, babaları Mahmut'un kendileri için yaptığı ve Cudi'nin yatak odasına astığı salıncakta sallanmayı çok seviyor.
UNI687389/Kiliç

Above: Teymullah and Cudi love swinging on the swing that their father Mahmood designed for them and built inside Cudi’s bedroom.

Teymullah boş zamanlarında resim yapmayı çok seviyor.
UNI698839/Kiliç

Above: Teymullah loves drawing pictures in his free time.

Hayvanları çok seven ve bahçelerinde çeşitli hayvanlar besleyen Teymullah, tavuklarına yem veriyor.
UNI698840/Kiliç

Above: Teymullah, who loves animals and has various animals in their garden, is feeding the chickens.

Hayvanları çok seven ve bahçelerinde çeşitli hayvanlar besleyen Teymullah, babası Mahmut ile birlikte kaplumbağasını tutuyor.
UNI698841/Kiliç

Above: Teymullah, who loves animals and has various animals in their garden, is holding his turtle together with his father Mahmood.

Abdulkadir, Teymullah, Cudi ve Mahmut evlerinin bahçesinde.
UNI687425/Kiliç

Above: Abdulkadir, Teymullah, Cudi and Mahmood in their garden.