Farida, which means ‘unique’

Language

English
This story is also available in the following languages:

Author(s)

Farida Khello: Author

Summary

Farida grows up between Aleppo and a Kurdish village, marked by responsibility, loss and political violence. She faces war, displacement, family deaths and illness, yet keeps fighting for education,dignity and a new life – a testament to courage and resilience.

A short fragment of the story

“It is said that each person carries a part of her name. My name is Farida, which means ‘unique’. I inherited it from my maternal grandmother. She was a beautiful and strong woman who was highly respected in her community”

“I was born in Aleppo three years after my parents got married, and I was their first child. The firstborn child is always the centre of attention, whether they are a girl or a boy. As the oldest child, I had to take on responsibility before I even understood what it meant”

“The war destroyed our plans and dreams. We saw streets full of corpses and experienced an escape that felt like a nightmare. To this day, I don’t know how we survived”

“Today, I know: I have lost and started over many times. I have learned the true meanings of patience and strength, and how to stand up for justice, humanity and community”

“Maybe that is the meaning of my name: Farida, the „only one“. I have fallen many times, but I have always got back up again”

Countries

City

Aleppo

Why this story is important

From an early age, my life was shaped by responsibility, loss, and the consequences of war, yet amidst all the pain, the memories of my family and my homeland always carried me. On my journey through flight, illness, and starting over, I learned to rise again and keep going, no matter how difficult the days were. In Germany, I began a new chapter without losing my roots or the stories of my childhood.
Along this long path, I have come to understand the meaning of patience, strength, and compassion, and I have learned how important it is to stand up for justice, humanity, and community — values that have changed me and shaped my view of the world.

How this story was created

I wrote this story as part of the Women4Future workshops. There, I learned for the first time how to write down my memories, feelings, and thoughts — through creative writing, conversations with other women, and small exercises that helped me express myself. About a year ago, I began writing down everything I had experienced, and I continue to write to this day.
This story here is only an excerpt. By now, I have already written over fifty pages, and new memories keep coming. I notice how writing helps me: it organizes my life, gives me strength, and connects me with other women who are also sharing their stories.

This story is participating to these calls

WOMEN FOR CHANGE AWARD

This story is part of this specific projects

Women 4 Future

faridakhello@gmail.com

Policy

This work can be used under the Creative Commons Licence - Non-commercial Licence - Non Derived Works, as applied in the different countries where it is recognized (see site https://creativecommons.org/worldwide, which includes the licences for the different countries; if your country is not indicated, you have to refer to the British Licence).
Such licence includes the possibility of:

Reproducing, distributing, communicating to the public, displaying in public, representing, carrying out and acting out the work.

The licence is applied under the following conditions:

Attribution: anyone who utilizes the work must indicate its origin in the ways indicated by the author or the person who released the work under the licence;
Non Commercial: the work cannot be used for commercial purposes;
Non Derived: the work cannot be altered or transformed nor can it be utilized to create another.

Translation into other languages is allowed. We only ask you to send the translated copy to: storyap.archive@gmail.com
Thanks for the participation!

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/it/deed.en