Dear Supporters,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to you from Türkiye. My name is N.T. I was born in 1990 into a Kurdish family with 9 children. In our culture at that time, my grandmother was strictly against the education of girls. While all seven of my brothers were sent to school, my older sister and I were not sent. My sister was married off at a very young age. However, even as a child, I dreamed of studying. While all the children in the neighborhood went to school, I would just sit in a corner and wait for their return just to play games with them. One day while playing in the neighborhood, one of the children pushed me to the ground and said, "Don't play with us, you don't go to school, you are ignorant." I cried a lot that day, but at the same time, I made the biggest promise of my life. I looked after them and shouted, "I will study, you will see!"

I started my education with literacy courses. I completed primary school, middle school, and high school from the outside by taking open education exams. I worked as a tailor to earn my school registration fees. Despite not having a strong academic background, I passed the national university exams and graduated from university, Department of Banking and Insurance. I can never forget that first day I saw a university desk and a blackboard in my life. I graduated successfully without failing any classes.

Later, I successfully passed the exams and interviews in the privatization process of an electricity distribution company and started working in 2013. Thanks to my high performance, I was appointed as the Administrative and Financial Affairs Branch Manager one and a half years later. In this managerial position, I successfully managed Human Resources, Accounting, and Administrative Affairs processes for 3 years. During this period, I also graduated from the Faculty of Economics, Department of Public Finance, and received my second university diploma. I was planning to do a master's degree, but I missed this opportunity because I was away to take care of my mother during her illness.

Throughout my life, I have been an employee who is committed to my job, disciplined, and has a high sense of belonging. By working hard, I built a modest but peaceful life. However, everything changed in 2018 with the arrival of a new general manager. I started to face immense pressure and mobbing at workplace due to my ethnic identity. Despite this, I continued to fulfill my duties completely; they could not find any flaws in me in terms of performance or discipline.

Recently, I requested equal pay. Just because I asked for "equal pay," my employment contract was terminated 90 days ago. Because I conveyed my request to the upper authority, the official reason for termination was stated as "not complying with the hierarchy."

When I look back today, I see this: A little girl who was once excluded from games called "ignorant" overcame all the obstacles before her, graduated from university, worked as a manager for years, and stood on her own two feet. Today, however, the same woman is being severely punished just for defending her legal rights.

Right now, I am facing a very heavy financial crisis and deep despair. Whomever I asked for support or a loan in my country, I was either subjected to immoral proposals or they told me they would lend money with exorbitant interest rates. I am looking for tiny solutions in great despair. My strength is exhausted, believe me, I am desperate enough to take refuge in people I have never seen in my life. But I don't want to give up. I want to fight again and stand on my own feet.

Years ago, an academic wanted to buy my life story, I did not accept it at that time because everything was going well in my life. However, right now, to pay my debts and regain my financial independence, the only thing I have left is my story and my struggle. I don't know if it's worth money, but the only thing I know is that I cannot breathe due to despair. In the name of humanity, please hear my voice, be my miracle and show me a way. I wrote because I have full faith in your compassion and justice.

Perhaps you receive thousands of messages every day, and because of this, my message might go unnoticed, or you might find it hard to believe. That is why I want to send you my diplomas and career records directly to prove my situation. I truly believe you will hear my cry.

Sincerely,

N.T.