Ahmad is originally from Syria. He currently lives with his wife and daughter in Iraq where he works as an English instructor and accountant. His dream is to become a grammarian and specialize in English syntax. The story he shares with us in this episode depicts some of the challenges he faced for not having the official label of being a “refugee" when migrating to another country.

When the war started in Syria, Ahmad was forced to migrate temporarily to Lebanon. His journey to achieving his dreams took him later to Iraq where his requests for shelter were denied many times by relevant stakeholders. Despite all of this, Ahmad kept going. Ultimately, his commitment and dedication to finish his education opened up job opportunities for him and his family.

Listen to Ahmad’s story to find out more about his education and employment paths, as well as his thoughts on what motivated him to not give up on his dreams, and what we could do as individuals to change the narrative and break the stereotypes about being a refuge.