Stories of Change: Bashaer

Thank you for inviting me to share my experience today. Before I joined Azalea, honestly. I didn’t have many friends or people I could talk to openly like this. Meeting new people felt difficult—sometimes I was just too scared or shy to try. I didn’t want to get to know new faces because it all felt difficulty . But after joining Azalea, everything changed. Now, I have so many friends, and I’m genuinely interested in meeting more people.

I remember wondering before, why I never had friends or felt comfortable talking to others. But now, I can approach anyone and talk without fear. That was such a huge step for me. One of the biggest challenges I faced before was communicating with people from different backgrounds and communities. It was hard to find common ground or even the courage to start a conversation. But the coaching sessions helped me a lot. Talking with my coach gave me a safe space where I could open up about my feelings and experiences. At first, it was really difficult—sharing about myself was something new and uncomfortable. But over time, I felt understood. My coach could answer questions I hadn’t even voiced out loud.

There were times when I felt stuck or faced problems, and talking with her helped me calm down and think clearly. After those conversations, I could understand my feelings better and make decisions that felt right for me.

One of the Azalea sessions that stuck with me was about personality. I remember we did an exercise where we reacted together without speaking. At that time, I was the leader of the group. There was one girl who was very shy and didn’t speak up, but she was capable in her own way. Watching her made me realize how similar we are sometimes—I saw my own personality reflected in her. It made me think, how do other people understand what’s going on inside my mind when I don’t express it? That session helped me understand myself better and also helped me understand others—how they try to understand me and how I can try to understand them.

Did this program help me identify supportive people around me? Absolutely. Now, I feel more comfortable talking to others. I feel confident. Sometimes I would try before but something felt wrong and I couldn’t continue. But now, I can talk with others without feeling anxious. I reach out, I listen, and I share my opinions. For example, in our community project, I speak with mothers about children’s mental health. At first, some people wouldn’t talk about it or avoided the topic, but now, they open up. They ask questions and want to discuss more.

The coaching sessions helped me build that confidence, but another memorable experience was a session where we used clay to express our feelings. I can’t remember the exact name of the technique, but we talked about how to cope with anxiety, stress, or sadness. Each of us shared what we do when we feel down—some said reading, going outside, or talking. Then, we made shapes with clay representing those feelings and coping strategies. I made a little clay book because I like reading. That session was so comforting because creating something with clay helped me feel like I could change my feelings and situations. Even though I don’t use the clay anymore, I still keep that little book shape in my room. When I see it, it reminds me of that safe space and helps me stay calm.

Before Azalea, I worked with displaced children and sometimes volunteered in my community, but after Azalea, I felt inspired to do more. Helping others makes me feel good about myself. So, I plan to keep volunteering and supporting my community whenever I can.

Since the program, I have been more involved in community development work. I believe my community needs people who can teach, support, and help them understand one another—especially because we come from different countries and backgrounds. It’s important for us to understand not only ourselves but also the community around us.

I also want to get more involved in leadership roles. I have done some sessions with teenage girls about self-care, self-esteem, and connecting with others in the community. Now, I want to expand that to adults. Sometimes, the girls ask me questions about their families that they don’t understand fully. I think if we support parents and adults, it will encourage children too, because they’re connected.

As an Azalea alumna, if Akar Umbi Society develops future sessions, I would love support on presentation skills. We learned some basics, but I think more practice and exercises would help. Also, training on how to manage sessions, especially when people ask difficult questions or when you need to keep things on track would be very useful. Organizing time and handling small challenges that come up during sessions could also be improved.

If I were to summarize my Azalea Initiative journey, I’d say it indeed changed my mindset. It made me more confident, and now I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to. It’s made me stronger. It’s hard to explain sometimes, but I feel more at peace in my mind. Thank you so much for listening to my story and giving me the chance to share this journey.