Monir Aldali was born in Aleppo in 1995, and he is a high school graduate. Nowadays, he works as a barber in Sultanbeyli, Istanbul. In March, he applied to the United Work to participate in the “Şirketim” project to complete the necessary formalization process for his business.
Monir was working as a barber while living in Syria. The civil war in Syria affected him, as millions of Syrians. War conditions were influenced him more than he can bear; for this reason, he decided to emigrate. He and his brother transit firstly to Lebanon, and then to Mersin, from there to Istanbul in 2015. Fortunately, the rest of the family joined them in Istanbul in 2016. He married after arriving in Turkey, and today he lives with his wife and 1-year-old child in Sultanbeyli.
In fact, he wanted to earn his living as a barber after coming to Turkey since he is experienced and feels happy in this profession. However, it was not an easy task to arrive in a country where he did not know the language, culture, and labor market or what he wants to do there. Since his Turkish was not very good, he could not find a job for a long time, and he had to work in alternative jobs when he was unemployed. He worked in the metal industry sector; he did metal processing and cutting for almost two years. This job was very difficult and not his original profession; therefore, he had struggled during his employment. Still, he continued to work in his business until the last month of 2018, until he got an opportunity and has started his own business. At that time, he quit his job and started his own barbershop. He was happy to be able to work in the field, which he knows, experienced, and feels happy to work.
When he started working at his own business, he had already been registered to the tax office. However, according to relevant laws in Turkey, having just a tax plate does not guarantee to have an entirely legal business. Being aware of this situation, Monir did not make other necessary registration due to inadequate economic resources and a lack of information. For this reason, when he opened his shop every day, he always had the thought of whether he would be fined or would be able to sustain the business in general.
Until the project field officers visited his workplace, he did not know anything about GIZ, United Work, or the “Şirketim” project. When the field team explained the project, although the supports provided was appealing, he could not trust at first. After field teams explained the project in detail, he did web research about United Work and GIZ and consulted with his friends; he decided to participate in the project.
When he joined the project, he only had a tax plate. However, with the support of the project, he registered the chamber, obtained the work permit and the municipal license, and completed the mandatory inventories that the workplaces should possess. In addition, the COVID-19 financial support provided within the scope of the project was also very useful for him. For these reasons, Monir sincerely states that the “Şirketim” project has been a successful project; it has been very supportive, pleasing, and beneficial for him to be freed from his legal concerns and to be supported economically during the formalization of his workplace.
In the near future, he wants to expand his business and open new branches in different districts of Istanbul. Although the COVID-19 outbreak has seriously impacted his business, he thinks he can cease this adverse impact and maintain his workplace with the help of the economic support of the project. As well as the economic aspects, he feels secured and happy in Turkey socially. Since he arrived in Turkey and has not encountered any problems, he has been able to develop a good and respectful relationship with the Turkish people. For this reason, it does not intend to return to Syria in the near future. In Turkey, he feels optimistic about his family’s future, and his desire to build a promising future for his child also reinforces his desire to improve his workplace. He just wants a peaceful life and a good future for his family. Nevertheless, he states that if the situations in Syria improve, he may consider returning.
Finally, Monir is delighted to participate in the project and thinks the project has genuinely been beneficial. For this reason, he thanks everyone who contributed to this project.