Anyone who, as a mother (or father), talks to Shamyah R. about her job immediately wishes that their own children had just such a teacher at school. Her warm smile, her positive charisma and her good-hearted joy – how beneficial that would be, especially for schoolchildren whose parents fled from the wars and crises of this world. They are now learning German in the transition classes, but they should not lose touch in other subjects either.
The 51-year-old taught Arabic, mathematics and art at a high school in Syria, and she has also run a school in her home country. In Munich she is now back at school herself and learning German. Like her husband and her son Aldin, “who is really smart,” says Shamyah R. She is very proud of the ten-year-old because he has a good chance of making the transition to high school next year. “He only brings home twos.” And this despite the fact that the learning situation is anything but optimal for the boy.
The family lives in a small one-room apartment in a homeless boarding house. The furniture is a bed shared by mother and son, a couch and a table. This is where Shamyah R., her husband and Aldin learn together. Spread the school things out here? No chance. Nevertheless, the family is not only confident but also works with determination to make their way here because they lost everything in Syria.
“We had a nice, big house,” recalls Shamyah R. Each of her four sons had their own room, and she and her husband, a veterinarian by trade, had a study. Then came the war, the house was destroyed, the family was left with nothing and suddenly their lives were in danger.
They initially had to leave their youngest son behind
The eldest son was the first to leave his home country in 2019, and he was injured while fleeing. He now lives in a shared apartment in Munich and is training to be a hairdresser, with the final exam coming up in January. Shamyah R., her husband and the two middle sons were able to come to Germany through the family reunification regulations. One is now training as a nursing specialist, the other is studying – only the youngest son initially did not receive a visa for inexplicable reasons.
The family decided to take the plunge anyway. Shamyah R’s sister temporarily took Aldin in. “She always took care of him when I was working,” says the 51-year-old, so she knew he was in good hands. “I have two mommies, Aldin always says.” But she hadn’t counted on the fact that it would be several months before she could hug her youngest.
Now she hopes that her professional qualifications from Syria will be recognised. Just like her husband, who had worked in Damascus as a specialist for livestock in vaccine research. He is currently attending a subject-specific German course. Shamyah R. has also learned the new language very well, “because then we have a good chance of building a new life here,” she says. What she wants most is a bigger apartment. “It would be so nice if our son could invite school friends over to his home,” she says. But that is not possible in the small apartment.
They looked for an apartment all the way to Augsburg
“We’ve looked everywhere,” she says. They even extended the search to Augsburg, so far without success. And Shamyah R. and her husband don’t want to move much further away from Munich. “We’re a family,” she says. They fled to live together in safety.
Shamyah R. wants Aldin to have a bike and some toys for Christmas. “I don’t wish for anything myself,” she says with her warm laugh. “We’ve already achieved so much.”
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