Feedaa Khalaf from Syria is a successful struggle story

Feedaa Khalaf left Syria in 2016 and moved to Sweden to escape from the war and destruction that has wrought in Syria in recent years. Feedaa came to Sweden to live with his daughter and his wife who preceded him to Sweden, and he carries with him the aches of war and its painful memories, in addition to all the years of experience he spent working at a television station as a transmitter engineer and on live broadcast cars as well.

"I tried to work here as a specialist, but the broadcast came through the internet now. So when I came to Sweden I had to start from scratch."

In addition, Feedaa worked in the maintenance of mobile phones and computers in his own company.

"The business was growing until the war started and the economic situation started to deteriorate." According to Feedaa.

- I came to Sweden in the winter, so I suffered a lot in my first days in Sweden. Life was very difficult, I felt alienation, the cruelty of immigration and the cruelty of the war that forced me to leave my country. The effect of winter was negative on my psyche. The emptiness and boredom was around me, especially for me who used to work from nine in the morning until one in the middle of the night, so I realized that everything I went through became my past and I should work on establishing my new life from scratch. Khalaf says.

Why didn't you start learning the language like everyone else does?

I wanted to enter the job market and acquire the language. I did not start studying the language because I wanted to acquire it and learn the terms that I will really need in my field of work through working and mixing with others. Because my goal is not to get education but work, because education I can continue when I am ready for it, and after I have achieved remarkable success with work. When I met the supervisor in the labour office during the establishing stage. I asked her for help in getting a job immediately. She tried to help, but it was very difficult. I had to take a course for one year and three months of internship. And it was difficult for me to get an internship in one of the companies, because they do not deal with us personally. Things go better with relationships, or to be recommended by a specific party. So I was able to get an internship with the help of my supervisor and the institute where I studied. After a month and a half of internship, I got a job contract. But there is a problem faced by almost all people coming to Sweden is a lack of confidence in our scientific and intellectual abilities, and this is very sad. Feedaa points out that things did not go well with him during work and that he was exploited and harassed.

- I worked intensively until my hands got a nervous spasm due to the pressure of work. Unfortunately, I faced many challenges and harassment at work and the work environment became uncomfortable. So I had to leave work. When I decided to leave work my friend Filip Smitz who was my co-worker and we became friends helped me and we decided to open a TekniCare company. He says.

What is TekniCare?

It is a company for the maintenance and programming of mobile phones and computers. We opened in December of last year. We are now expanding and opening a three times larger store at Storgatan 14, the former Hemtex store location. This is a quantum leap for us, as we move from a small place to a large place three times in less than a year. We signed a contract with a large company that sells computers, mobile phones and electronic devices, so we need a bigger place for the new work, and we need new employees as well. We also obtained a license from Apple to maintain Apple's mobile phones with original parts. So we underwent training courses by Apple and obtained certificates in order to obtain this license. We are now working on preparing the place and the opening will be in early November. Although we are a start-up company, we got a license from Apple. And we started taking agencies from big companies. The trust of these companies in us gives us the motivation to work with double efforts.

Is there a plan to expand in the future?

We aspire to expand further in the future and open stores in all of Sweden. I also aspire to develop in my field of work and develop my skills. Because this field is rapidly accelerating, every second there is new technology and new information. Therefore, we must keep abreast of all these developments. Therefore, I always stay up-to-date and develop my skills by watching videos of professionals and reading continuously in my field of work. One of the things I'm proud of is that we can fix devices that most companies can't do.

You mentioned that you struggled when you came to Sweden and felt that you had to start from scratch, how do you feel now that you are achieving success at TekniCare?

I paid the price of the success that I reached today from the days of my life and from my comfort. I am also grateful to have a friend like Filip Smitz, who is credited with teaching me Swedish and has been patient with me in making it happen. And he helped me start our new business at TekniCare. Filip is a humane and honest person who loves others. He provides assistance to others, especially people who have lived through difficult experiences.

What is your advice to those facing the challenges of the new society?

First, trust yourself. Honesty in work and love of the profession is necessary for success in the field of work. Create your opportunity to succeed in the new society.