The first group graduated from the B1 Turkish Language Course at the SADA Women Development and Solidarity Centre under the project “Strengthening the Resilience of Syrian Women and Girls” implemented jointly by UN Women, ILO and ASAM. Organised by ILO, the course started on 25 June 2018 and concluded on 22 October 2018 under the Public Education Curriculum of the General Directorate of Lifelong Learning. The participants included 22 Syrian and 2 Iraqi women who earlier completed the A2 Turkish Language Course. Lasting over three months, the course featured “Istanbul, B1 Turkish for Foreigners” as the key resource material, and included a richness of interactive materials such as film exhibits, conversation groups, space-based dialogues, orienteering, writing petitions.

The beneficiaries who successfully completed the course had fun at an event organised as collective work where the children of the beneficiaries made a surprise for their mothers by performing a stage play. All participants excitedly watched and enjoyed the stage play of Keloglan, seasons and dances prepared the day-care trainer, interpreter and the children of B1 course participants at the full-day care centre serving the children of project beneficiaries under the SADA Women Development and Solidarity Centre. Most of the costumes of the children in the stage play were designed by themselves in the context of a workshop, where as the hair-dressing course helped out with children’s hair. The final part of the event included an offering of local Syrian dishes cooked by the beneficiaries, then cutting a pie with songs.