My name is Mahmoud Aghiorly
and I am a volunteer translator with TED.
I am from Syria,
and I am from the city called Aleppo,
located on the North.
This city is an ancient city
Actually, it's been there 3,000 years
but now within 4 years
everything's just finished.
Most of my places in memories and
buildings that I loved, are destroyed.
And they're just bent down,
or bombed, or just throwing.
These places are not there right now
We told Adam so many stories
but actually, it's very difficult for us
that he can't live in there.
And it touched me in my heart.
Actually, as a woman and as a mother that
my baby wouldn't have the ability to visit
his father's places or mother's places.
so yeah
Me and my brother were posted in engineers
and we were dreaming actually to have
an engineering consultant obviously
but the engineering office was
in the middle and heated area
so it was also mostly destroyed.
So I think even you imagine
future is destroyed or bent down
I spent around 5 years into it
then I immigrate to Australia by 2015.
We came here on the second day
of November.
Last year, everthing was dark
and when the sun rises,
it is a new life.
Everything seems beautiful,
everything is green with so much flowers.
We want Adam to live in a better world
We want him to have a great life.
And I think that he was the main reason
why we took that immigrated decision.
It was not an easy decision to take.
Moving to another country, that is
totally different what we used to,
is not that easy.
We are so happy right now,
and we know what we did
is for us and for Adam as well.
Starting from February to August,
I was searching everyday and
sending around 10 or 12 CVs.
Actually, the main advice is
to change my name
because Madmoud sounds
so much traditional.
The second advice they asked me
to hide my place of birth,
and my origin of my certificate.
They told me that nation
makes me think about Syria.
I didn't choose the country
that I was born in.
And I didn't choose my name.
So, people are judging me
with things that I didn't choose.
I choose how I'm going to
deal with the problems,
and having a proper channel for new ideas.
It is very essential for people
who are coming from a war zone,
and people who are coming
from a lost path.
Ted will provide you
a proper channel of many ideas
from so many people around the world.
You can directly relate to someone
who is facing the same problem,
to someone who just immigrates
to the new country,
to someone who is starting a new family,
or some who's facing problems.
Mahmoud has a great way
of loving and giving.
And I think volunteering is a way
of loving and giving.
Translating from a language
to another language is a great boat.
(Music)