Rebuilding from the Rubble: From war-torn Syria to a new life in the UK

In 2013, I arrived in the UK with my two children, three British Passports and a heart full of uncertainty. We’d fled Syria during a time of devastating conflict, seeking safety - not just from war, but from a life that had become unrecognisable. 

The day that changed everything

Our life in Damascus wasn’t easy, but it was ours – structured, familiar and filled with small joys and everyday routines. I worked as an architect, raising two children with my husband. 

Then, in the spring of 2013, everything changed.

One morning, my husband left home to drop the children at school. It should have taken an hour, but he never returned. A battle had erupted near the school, and later that day, I learned that he had been kidnapped. A ransom of 500,000 Syrian pounds was demanded for his release.

The days and hours that followed are a blur. We were able to negotiate my husband’s safe release, but it was a turning point. I wasn’t just afraid for my husband’s life - I feared what the future held for my children if we stayed. We needed safety. We needed a way out.

Within weeks, I made the impossible decision to leave everything behind and return to the UK, where I had been born, with my two children.

But this is not a story about war. It’s about what happened next. It’s about how one opportunity, one job with BAM, became the turning point that helped me rebuild my life, redefine my career and rediscover my purpose.

Starting over without a path

Less than two months after my husband's kidnapping, I arrived in England with my children. 

Our early days in Manchester were some of the hardest of my life. Finding a home when no one would rent to me without employment, finding schools for my children where we knew no one and seeking a new role to support us, all while fearing for my husband’s safety as he fled to Erbil.

Professionally, the path ahead seemed closed. I had worked as an architect in Syria, but my qualifications weren’t recognised in the UK. To continue as an architect, I would have had to complete a series of ARB exams—costly, time-consuming, and nearly impossible without support or income.

So, I made a choice - to pivot, to learn and to start again. I enrolled in a Master’s program in BIM & Digital Construction at Salford University. It was a leap of faith—and the first step toward what would become a life-changing opportunity.

Rebuilding my life

As I started looking for a new role, I searched for something inspiring, a role that would allow me to continue to learn and grow. 

I’ll never forget the moment I got the call from BAM. They offered me a role in their Highways Division. It wasn’t just a job—it was a lifeline. It marked the first time in years that I felt stability, direction, and recognition for my skills.

Joining BAM was more than just employment. It was a new beginning.

From Architect to Digital Information Manager

I joined BAM in 2016 and I thrived in my new role. There were challenges - I was transitioning from architectural design into the world of infrastructure, managing digital information on large-scale civil engineering projects. I had to learn new standards, understand new disciplines and build credibility in a highly technical environment.

But I discovered a passion for digital construction – a field that combines my attention to detail, design skills and problem-solving mindset. I was surrounded by people who supported my growth, challenged me professionally and gave me the confidence to lead.

In many ways, BAM gave me more than a job—they gave me a professional identity in the UK.

A family rebuilt

As my career stabilised, so did our lives. My husband was finally able to join us in 2018 when he secured a spouse visa and my children began to flourish in school. My son earned a scholarship to Manchester Grammar School and is now a trainee orthopaedic surgeon after studying medicine at Imperial College London. My daughter followed in my footsteps into the built environment, graduating in Architecture Design & Technology and working as a CDM Principal Designer.

Their achievements are part of this story too - because the job I found at BAM didn’t just change my life. It changed theirs.

A new chapter in construction

In 2023, after several years of learning and growth within BAM’s civils sector, I moved across to the construction sector to work on building projects with new digital challenges. The move from infrastructure to buildings presented fresh opportunities—and once again, I was supported in stepping into a new environment with confidence.

Now, as part of the Digital Project Solutions team, I contribute to shaping how we deliver complex construction projects, schools, hospitals and offices, through technology, collaboration and data-driven decision-making.

Looking back, looking forward

I often reflect on the woman I was when I first walked through BAM’s doors: uncertain, determined, quietly hopeful. The transformation since then—both personal and professional—has been profound.

The past 12 years haven’t been easy, but they have been full of purpose. And my new role at BAM hasn’t just been a job, it has become the foundation on which I rebuilt my life.