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Jihan was born in Syria, in the village of Talghaz, near Afrin. She was part of a large family consisting of five sisters and four brothers. Jihan’s father had been blind since childhood, but he married his cousin, and together they had Jihan and her siblings.
At the age of seven, Jihan left her family and moved to Aleppo with her older sister, who worked to support her and cover her school expenses. However, when she turned thirteen, she and her sister returned to the village, where her sister got married, and Jihan stopped attending school.
Despite discontinuing her education, Jihan’s childhood was filled with love and support from her father, who, despite being blind, was passionate about culture and learning. He took it upon himself to teach and educate her. From the age of thirteen, until she turned thirty, Jihan lived with her family. The family was financially well-off due to their ownership of an olive orchard. Jihan helped her parents at home and in the orchard, and she had a close relationship with her father, often accompanying him everywhere and considering him her closest friend.
Jihan recalls how her father would carry her on his shoulders to reassure her and make her feel safe. Later, Jihan met her husband through mutual friends, and they got married. Shortly after their marriage, the war in Syria broke out, forcing her and her husband to move to Lebanon in search of safety and work opportunities.
The couple settled in Lebanon, where they were blessed with a baby girl, but the financial and social conditions were difficult. They learned about the Heart for Lebanon and registered to receive food assistance. They were then invited to attend the Kurdish worship meetings organized by Heart for Lebanon, which they greatly enjoyed, and they began attending regularly.
Jihan enrolled her daughter at Heart for Lebanon’s H.O.P.E Educational Program. She told us that before attending the meetings, she held grudges against those who wronged her, but now she has learned the meaning of forgiveness and mercy thanks to the lessons she receives at Heart for Lebanon. Jihan speaks about the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus that she learns about and eagerly waits for Wednesday to attend the meetings. She feels that she is learning new things about life, faith, and all that concerns creation.
Jihan said, “Thank you for your material and spiritual care for us and your sincere love. I wish Heart for Lebanon continued success and perseverance in helping others. Many things in my life have changed because of these lessons.”
