"They convinced me to change my life," a beaming Abdulmohsen Babekir Abdullah Moussa says. A barber now, this young Sudanese man was once among the many drug addicts who end up on the street, with no prospect of rehabilitation or employment. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) helped him and others to recover.
The agency supports the Bit Makali Association, which focuses on helping drug addicts in the African country. In October 2020, TIKA delivered equipment for vocational training to the organization, from welding equipment to gear used in training technicians and barbers. Overall, 105 young addicts who kicked the habit benefited from the association’s vocational training program. Some set up their own businesses while others found employment elsewhere.
Lubna Ali Muhammad Abdurrahman, a doctor and the founder of the association, said she was happy to conclude their program with success. "We have been working for years to help the addicts and the homeless but we never had the opportunity to help them work. With the support of TIKA, we are now running an international project that provides rehabilitation, shelter and employment for (addicts)," she told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday. Now, the association aims to give support to former addicts looking to marry. "We are grateful to TIKA for its support," she said.
Musa said he had no goals in life but he now learned how to stand on his own. "Having a job is our only means for survival. This project is really precious for me. I had interest in being a barber and TIKA’s support helped me to become a professional," he says.
Hassan Abdullah Arbab Ishak, who works as a blacksmith now, says they were once outcasts, living away from society. "TIKA and Bit Makali changed our life. I became what I am with their support and now run my own workshop," he says.
The agency, active all around the globe as Turkey’s primary development aid apparatus, also helps Sudanese people in other fields, including empowering women to fight against the coronavirus pandemic.