AMMAN — Seeking
asylum from war-torn Syria, Reem Nayaz fled to Jordan in hopes of an easier, more dignified living, only to find herself in the throes of new challenges as a refugee. But in an unexpected turn of events, Nayaz found respite from those challenges as a sports coach.
اضافة اعلان
“I was living as a refugee with my husband and children. I was a homemaker and had never thought about work because tradition did not allow it,” Nayaz told
Jordan News.
She continued: “In 2012, as the war in Syria became more heated, we left for Jordan and I remember thinking we would only be here for two or three months. But the reality was vastly different and the
conflict continued for several years.”
“That was when I began looking for alternatives.”
Nayaz recounted having to work with a number of relief organizations but could not recall how she found herself coaching football, basketball, Frisbee and squash to young refugee girls, noting that she started out just volunteering but later felt that those girls had stories that were similar to hers.
“You cannot imagine the impact sports have on turning tears of grief — when those girls would remember the war and those they lost — into tears of joy when they won a match. It is truly a great feeling,” Nayaz explained.
The athlete and coach laughed when asked about the challenges that accompanied a transition from homemaking to coaching.
“My kids used to always say ‘mom plays football’, which I found embarrassing. But their words later turned into motivation for me to prove myself,” Nayaz said.
She said that when she played for one organization’s women’s team here in Jordan, she criticized herself often but later opened to the idea of being an athlete.
“The most difficult thing is to be looked at with pity because you are a refugee, but I think I have now gotten over this issue, because a successful person presents themselves as they wish to be seen,” Nayaz elaborated.
To Nayaz, the secret for success lies in hard work and a dash of confidence.
“A woman must believe in herself and her ability to realize her dreams. I have already started thinking about creating my own project to train both children and adults when I return to Syria,” she concluded.
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