Syrian, from Busra Al-Hareer /Dara'a; seeking Professional Post Graduate degree in Translation and is enrolled at Jadara university.
I am Sahar Alallawi, from Busra Al-Hareer, Dara'a, Syria. I never wanted to be a teacher, but I had to take what was available if I were to pursue a college degree.
I could not choose the major I loved. The only branch Damascus University had in Dara'a offered teacher-ed. I had no other choice. So I was on my way to become a teacher.
When the war broke out, I was one semester away from graduating. We left to Jordan.
Sometimes our dreams come late in order to open doors to more meaningful outcomes.
In Jordan I qualified for the DAFI scholarship. I graduated from Jadara University, translation major in 2019 and ranked first among my classmates
scoring a 3.7 GPA.
Limited employment opportunities meant that I could not land a job in the host country. Little have I known that volunteering with a crowdfunding nonprofit would open the door wide to a unique self enrichment and meaningful employment opportunity. I was offered a job opportunity with aiXplain.
I am on my way to pursue a master's degree in Translation at Jadara. My perseverance paid off. The real test was making sense of the journey - no matter how hard it was. I know I am closer today to becoming the person I want to be because I worked for it.
Why Would Donors Fund You?
There are over 30 dialects of Arabic spoken in 23 Arab countries. I want to start my audio book recording
project of titles I translate, record in the colloquial Syrian dialect and eventually expand this library to cover dialects spoken in different Syrian towns.
My ultimate hope is to merge this project with machine learning to preserve the spoken dialects in Syria, the Arab Levant and the Gulf.
How Do You Plan to Payback?
Story-telling was an important part of our childhood. Wanting to belong means holding on to the stories that became part of our identity. I want collect stories I heard from my grandparents about my hometown, Busra Al-Hareer, and record them as part of its oral history . I will eventually translate them into English.
This will be part of the debt I pay by preserving my identity and that of the children who may or may not go back home to Dara'a one day.
Volunteer Work/Social Capital
I volunteered with:
- Family and Child Protection Society - Syrian refugee children entertainment activities
- Children Smile Initiative: recreation activities
- Sanaa Initiative: orphan children welfare
- Daraghma institution: distribution of clothing
- American Zakat Foundation: tutoring children in English/Arabic language and arts
What Have You Done to Improve Yourself? Awards and Achievements
I obtained certificates in the following fields:
- Computer skills
- Report writing & administrative correspondence
- Leadership & teamwork
- Effective communication skills
- First Aid
- Measuring and development of mental faculties
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