Reda Edwal

Never had I imagined that I would be forced to leave my home and dreams, escaping death to live elsewhere, facing hardships.

My name is Reda Edwal, an accountant and international finance trainer.

I was a person driven by ambition. In 2008, I graduated in accounting; I established my perfume business, built a home, and started a family. Life was peaceful, and everything was going as I had hoped.

In 2018, everything changed. Safety turned to fear, calm to anxiety, and the sounds of bombs overwhelmed the city. Feelings of fear and sadness took over, until the gunfire reached my home. We had to make the most difficult decision: leave Derna for safety.

That morning is unforgettable. Twelve people packed in a car, my wife, mother, father, brothers, my aunt, and her daughters. We raised white flags to declare surrender and a plea for mercy, as we left Derna for Tripoli. It was the longest, toughest journey of our lives, with a meager sum of money that was barely enough.

When we reached Tripoli, it was harder than I had imagined. I felt helpless and lost! Facing unemployment day after day and a sense of loss accompanied me every step. Returning to Derna wasn't an option, and the new reality was painful.

Despite it all, I carried on. I held on to dear hope and continued to search for opportunities. I returned to accounting, formed professional relationships, and seized every opportunity to grow. Slowly but determined, I began to see a ray of hope. Today, I have regained my professional stability and now work as an international finance trainer, sharing my experience and inspiring others.

Through this ordeal, I learned that a person is capable of rising from rubble, no matter the circumstances, and that faith in god first, and then in oneself, is the path to victory. I learned that true strength lies not in what we possess, but in what we create with our own will.

I hope that peace will prevail in Libya, that we will bid farewell to wars forever, and that Libya will become a safe country where the rule of law reigns and human rights are respected.