Musaab and Yamameh studied for the same degree at Edinburgh Napier University
A husband and wife who came to Scotland from war-torn Syria without a word of English are celebrating the new life they’ve built together – as they both graduate with degrees in architectural technology.
Musaab Alhourani and Yamameh Alsalhani studied simultaneously for the BSc Architectural Technology at Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) and graduated together at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall today.
The couple, alongside their two children, were forced to flee their homeland following the outbreak of civil war and spent four years at a refugee camp in Lebanon.
Through the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) they were offered the chance to come to Scotland, arriving in North Berwick in July 2017.
Now settled in Edinburgh with three children, their graduation marks a major milestone in their journey.
45-year-old Musaab said: “The situation in the camp was very bad. When the UNHCR gave us the opportunity to move on, we were desperate to take it.
“My English was zero. We had to work hard at the start to learn the basics – how to greet people, go shopping, learn the numbers.
“We spent hours on YouTube watching videos on how to improve our English.
“After a while we started volunteering with locals, collecting clothes and shoes for people back in Lebanon and Jordan.
“Through that, we had a handful of local people we would speak to every day. We asked them to correct us if we said anything wrong!
“To go from that point to graduating today makes us very proud.”
Having got to grips with the language, with Musaab beginning work as a driving instructor, they decided to enrol together for an HNC at Edinburgh College – which earned them entry into the degree programme at ENU.
Yamameh, who is 41, said: “My background is in education – I used to teach refugee children in camps – but I love design and asking how a building can be made.
“This gave us a strong foundation for our studies at Edinburgh Napier.
“Musaab persuaded me to do it at the same time. At first it was a huge balancing act alongside caring for our children and my mother as well.
“Strict time management played a big part. We were often studying at night when the kids went to bed.”
Musaab added: “We did it because we love it. When you love something you can work hard for it.
“The teachers at Edinburgh Napier were very, very good. They have a lot of passion and we felt truly supported.”
Now that they have graduated with distinction, the pair are hoping to continue their higher education journey together, studying for a Masters and a PhD.
They have paid tribute to all the teachers, lecturers and colleagues who helped them along the way.
“We want to return the favour to this country,” Musaab said. “The people in Scotland very friendly.
“Our children love it here and we have made so many friends.
“When we look back on how we got here, we know it has been tough, but we did it all together.”
Musaab and Yamameh graduated alongside fellow students from Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment.
ENU’s summer graduation ceremonies are being held at the Usher Hall between 8-10 July.