Sama Hejazi won the Asian Girls Special Award in 2019 for her resilience and strength in comforting young Syrian boy and girl refugees who fled the war and were displaced in Turkey.

Born in Damascus, Sama took to the streets in 2011 at the age of eight during the Syrian Revolution and chanted, “We want freedom!” with a group of demonstrators. Her mother, also a fierce advocate of freedom, had been arrested by the Syrian authorities a few days prior. Sama felt no longer bounded by her age and gender: she had to make her voice heard.

Three years later, her family had settled in Turkey. As she had always been musically gifted, she played her guitar and took up piano as a way to find comfort while settling into her new country. She realized playing music brings comfort not just to her but also to the children who had also just fled the traumatic war.

“Syrian children cannot speak Turkish. When they hear Turkish, they feel anxious. But music is a global language. I accompany them with my guitar to help them adjust to moving to a new country.”

During her grand tour as an Asian Girls Ambassador in Taiwan, she left a lasting impression on girls and the Taiwanese public. “We are all here today to show the world that Asian girls are not weak. We have the capacity to strive for our freedoms,” she said upon receiving her award.

As she embarked on her ambassadorial duties, she continued exploring the potential of empowering children and women through music. She still teaches music to displaced children, formed the Asian Girls Syrian Team, led a women’s choir, and keeps close ties with the Taiwan Office in Turkey.