Built by a Syrian refugee, the Gherbetna app aims to help Syrians in Turkey with everything from how to apply for a work permit to where to find good sweets.
Mojahed Akil is one of around 4 million Syrians who have fled the country since a brutal civil war began just over four years ago. The 25-year-old software developer now lives in neighboring Turkey.
"Until recently, there were no Syrian people in Turkey," Akil told BuzzFeed News in a Skype interview, explaining that when he arrived he had no one to ask for advice about how to set up his new life. "I would have to go to government offices everyday to find out information about what are my rights in this country."
Around 1.7 million Syrian refugees, almost half of those who have fled overseas, have ended up in Turkey, according to the latest UN data.
Having struggled to settle in himself, Akil last year launched a free app to help fellow Syrian refugees in Turkey. It’s called Gherbetna, which means our loneliness, otherness, or exile in Arabic. Here's the menu screen:
Gherbetna
This main menu is broken down into sections that include job listings (that's the icon with the magnifying glass). Another section lists local businesses and services that Syrians might need (that's the icon with the man in the suit), with links to things ranging from language classes to Syrian sweet shops.
And there's a section called "I Need" (that's the one with the hand symbol), where you can post a question about whatever you need to find in your area on a message board. When we looked, people were seeking recommendations for things like doctors and drivers.
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