Souline Ahmed

Before I married, I lived on Lolland together with my family, and I really felt at home there. I now live in Copenhagen with my husband, and even though I feel at home with him, I can still feel rather lonely.

My father is a tailor, and in Syria it is a tough occupation with a low salary and status. He has always insisted that his children should have a good education. My dream is to become a doctor of medicine. I was quite young when I decided that I didn’t want to get married until I had finished my education. As a Kurdish woman in Syria, you are expected to become pregnant within a year of being married, and then your role is to look after the children. But here in Denmark it is still possible to study even if you are married and have started a family. So when I met my husband, I was 18, and I decided to marry him. Before we married, my husband promised me that he would support me in my wish to get a good education.

We decided to wait with children till I was halfway through my education. But now I am already pregnant. I am delighted, because I really do want a family, but I am also a bit nervous about the effect it may have on my studies. I am a strong willed woman, and I trust that this will see me through. It also helps a lot that my entire family supports me. Even though I do love my family, I have always liked to be alone. I love to read, especially novels with strong women as lead characters. Their stories inspire and motivate me.

19 years / female / in a relationship / Gentofte / attends language school / from Syria / Kurdish background / came to Denmark in 2014 / residence permit same year