Muhammad Faris is a refugee living in Turkey.

Though he shares a similar fate with over 3.4 million Syrians who fled the war and are now being hosted in Turkey, his story is like no other.

Faris is the first Syrian to travel to space. In 1987, he went on a joint mission with Soviet cosmonauts and spent seven days in space. He became a national hero and later served as a military advisory. But when the Syrian conflict began, he disagreed with the government's actions and decided to flee the country with his family, and so he came to Turkey.

When describing his experience in space, Faris said he learned a lot about humanity, stating “the best thing from space, you see the earth as one thing, there are no borders, it’s the home of the human, all humans – black, white and yellow, all of humans are the same.”   

Faris was not allowed to open a space institute in Syria, yet he has found a way to spread his knowledge in Turkey. He frequently gives lectures to young children in space programs.

When Faris enters the room, kids’ eyes light up, they are thrilled to meet someone who has been to space. His story has inspired many children and he has shared it in both Turkish and Syrian. Financially he has no gains from these lectures, but he says “the happiness on a child’s face when they are learning, is all that matters.”

The Faris family is also actively working to support other refugees in Turkey as well. His son, Houzayfa has opened a language school. Not knowing the Turkish language is one of the main challenges refugees face when trying to integrate into Turkish society. Houzayfa says over 3,000 students have enrolled in their language courses since they opened in 2014.

His wife – Hind Faris is focused on supporting children and women. She says children have been traumatized by the effects of war and need special attention. She has been organizing many entertainment activities with art and music classes for children.

The Faris family are grateful to have set up their lives here in Turkey. But many are not as lucky. There are thousands of educated, trained adults who are unable to practice their professions, unable to find decent work and make a living. There are millions who are away from their homes and have lost their loved ones. It’s the reality of being a refugee and a very heartbreaking process. Starting a new life – as a refugee – is a difficult task, but with the support of people like the Faris family who have succeeded to integrate, it certainly becomes easier.