Yasmin from Iran:

Yasmin dreams of creating a safe space for marginalized communities.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur tortor neque, mattis eu lorem non, euismod dapibus lectus. Maecenas porttitor enim at tincidunt dapibus. Suspendisse lacinia justo sed lacus mollis, fringilla congue sem elementum. Quisque tincidunt dolor et nisi pulvinar, eu mattis nisi vulputate. Cras in suscipit ligula. Duis tortor nulla, pulvinar ut posuere sit amet, fringilla at risus.

Yasmin comes from Iran and grew up as the youngest child in a conservative family. She is lesbian, but for a long time she did not dare to tell her family. She was afraid of exclusion and of the possible consequences in her family and in her wider environment. When her family tried to arrange a marriage for her, she refused. This led to strong tensions, and the relationship with her family became more and more difficult. In the end, Yasmin became estranged from her family.
Yasmin fled alone because she wanted to live in safety and freedom. In the host country, she had to start again without formal qualifications and without a completed school education. This was frightening at first, because she had little security and few clear options. She understood quickly that language would be important for her independence. She attended free language courses, practised regularly and now has very good language skills. Her courage also shows in the way she slowly builds trust, finds safe spaces and takes small steps towards a more stable life.
Theatre is very important for Yasmin. It helps her express feelings, process her experiences and meet people in an environment where she feels safer. She also volunteers at an animal shelter. There, she finds calm, responsibility and purpose. To earn money, she sometimes works as a cleaning assistant. Theatre, volunteering and animal care are important resources in her everyday life.
Yasmin would like to work in animal welfare, because her time at the animal shelter has shown her how much calm, responsibility and meaning she finds in caring for animals. Through theatre and the people she has met there, she has also gained more courage to think about her own future. She now wants to find out which training options could help her move towards animal care or community work. Since she did not complete school, she is also considering an adult education course or a basic qualification. Her goal is to build a more stable future for herself and, at the same time, help create a safe and open place for people who often experience exclusion, including migrant women and LGBTQ+ people.