Building Her Future: How Dinu Became an Engineer

When Dinu* first walked through the doors of the Emerge Centre for Reintegration as part of Batch 03, her bright curiosity and eagerness to learn lit up the room. Always the first to arrive and the last to stop asking questions during workshops, her enthusiasm was inspiring. Her favourite part of the Centre was learning English. Dinu saw these lessons as an opportunity and tool to get closer to her dream of becoming a qualified and versatile engineer. 

Despite the heavy weight of a difficult past, Dinu arrived at Emerge with a vision for herself and a quiet drive to see it through. With the support of her mentors at Emerge and a scholarship awarded by a longtime Emerge champion and supporter; the ZONTA Club, she took her first major leap by enrolling in an AutoCAD course.

After completing the six-month AutoCAD programme, Dinu began working as a trainee in the engineering field, while also living independently after graduating from the Emerge Centre. Dinu wanted to keep advancing her skillset and build a career, so she made the bold choice to pause her job and return to her studies full-time to pursue a diploma in engineering.

Now, nearly six years later, Dinu’s story continues to inspire. When we recently reconnected, she proudly shared that she had not only self-funded her engineering degree but had also saved enough to buy her own laptop, an investment in herself and her future. Today, she works as a qualified engineer, breaking barriers in a field still dominated by men, and embracing every moment of the life she has worked so hard to build. “I set this goal for myself at Emerge and I am so happy that I did,” Dinu said as she reflected on her journey towards becoming an Engineer.

Dinu’s story is more than a personal triumph. It’s a celebration of what happens when survivors are given the support they need, the belief they deserve, and the opportunity to dream. It’s also a powerful reminder: resilience thrives when rooted in community.

To every mentor, donor, and supporter, you are the backbone of this journey. Because of your generosity, stories like Dinu’s are made possible. Together, we are building pathways for survivors to live in independence, dignity, and hope.

*Dinu is a pseudonym to protect Emerge participant confidentiality