Syrian speakers address Dungannon Ladies’ Probus

TWO Syrian women outlined their harrowing, but inspirational life story at the latest meeting of Dungannon Ladies’ Probus Club.

President, Mary Ferris, introduced the two speakers’ and told how they had become friends through her work with St Vincent De Paul. After introducing Sabah and Samia Mondo, cousins and sisters-in-law, club members were treated to an excellent presentation explaining how they came to be living in Northern Ireland.

Due to the ongoing war and subsequent stress of trying to survive daily bombings and strife, life was very difficult and made more so when the cousins gave birth to baby girls within days of each other. Unfortunately one of the babies was born with Spina Bifeda and had to have an urgent operation when only one-day-old.

Sabah and Samia decided they had to move to live in Turkey for the health and safety of their families. As further operations were necessary, the two families decided to apply for transfer to the UK. Fortunately, travel was granted and the two families bravely set off for a new life. With not a word of English, they found themselves in Belfast and were later transferred to Dungannon.

The families were housed and the children allocated school places. Over the next five years, they have become fluent English speakers and are now trying to give back some of the warmth, welcome and generosity they experienced on arriving. This was an inspirational story and showed that, with positivity and determination, ‘anything is possible’.

There followed a short business meeting ,when the Ladies were reminded about joining the Men’s Probus on Tuesday, October 16 for a visit from the NI Commissioner for Older People. The next meeting will be in Dungannon Rugby Club on Wednesday, October 17 at 11am. Meanwhile, tributes were paid founder member, Susan Ingrim, who died during the summer.