Merve’s Quest to Hear and Be Heard in Türkiye

In a remote village in northeast Syria, a young girl named Merve was born with a profound challenge: significant hearing loss in one ear and no hearing in the other. Without any knowledge of formal sign language, her family communicated with her through a combination of improvised hand gestures and signs, a system that was often frustrating and limiting.

Finding a way to understand one another was difficult, according to her father, Hasan. This struggle took an immense emotional and practical toll on the family. As Merve's challenges mounted, Hasan desperately sought help, but their options were scarce. The cost of a simple hearing device was a luxury they could not afford.

In 2011, the outbreak of war in Syria uprooted the family’s life. Three years later, Hasan made the difficult decision to flee the violence, relocating his family to Türkiye. They settled in Mardin, where Hasan got a job as a seasonal farmer, earning just enough to keep his family afloat, though it was never enough to access the medical support Merve so desperately needed. Living in their remote rural home, surrounded by uneven terrain, also posed a constant risk for a girl with hearing loss.

Despite everything, Merve held on to her dream: to attend school and live a normal life. But with no reliable transport from their village, that dream felt impossibly far away.

In a moment of despair, Hasan went to the local municipality office, where his luck finally changed. Authorities there referred him to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Through its Emergency Case Management Programme, which provides urgent assistance to vulnerable families, IOM evaluated Merve’s case and provided her with a high-quality digital hearing aid tailored to her disability.

Suddenly, Merve's world was filled with sound. She could now respond to the noises around her, recognize danger, and clearly communicate her needs to her family. "This has changed everything," Hasan says.

With her newfound hearing, Merve has blossomed. She is now able to socialize with neighborhood children and connect more deeply with her siblings. Her understanding of the world around her has deepened in profound ways.

While Merve is still adapting to her new reality, she and her family are now learning sign language and basic reading together. Although she still faces some residual hearing problems, her reality is no longer a world of silence. Hasan and his wife are even considering relocating again, hoping to find a school that can finally give Merve the education she deserves.

Merve’s future has never looked brighter.

Through USA for IOM’s support to IOM’s Global Assistance Fund (GAF), IOM Türkiye provided life-changing assistance to 66 vulnerable individuals. This included the provision of essential medication and medical equipment, diagnostic tests, rental support, and legal counselling.

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Source: IOM