Syria – Another Year of Hope in Homs

From the beginning of the school year, in September, we understood that the after-school center “Generation of Hope” in Homs, Syria, would have an intense year full of activities with the 90 children of all ages who signed up! And the first 3 months did not disappoint expectations. The children were greeted by a surprise from the teachers and all the operators, finding classrooms full of colored balloons and with a small gift for each one, to face the year well: colored pencils, erasers and rulers for the little ones, pens and highlighters for the older ones. Such a start immediately brought even more affection and involvement. But, in addition to the courses and assistance for children with learning difficulties, psychological assistance and that provided by speech therapists for some children who are still suffering the traumatic effects of war, this year has been and will be even more the year of parental involvement. In collaboration with “The East Christian Relief” Association, we have organized meetings aimed at the children’s families. The first dealt with personal hygiene and was attended by about 70 mothers and fathers and their children. It was an afternoon full of ideas and which allowed them to reflect and review some of the habits they had at home and in public. From this first initiative, the second was born, aimed above all at mothers and concerning cancer prevention, in conjunction with a campaign by the Ministry of Health. During the same days, the teachers and children spoke about the same topics and developed their slogans together, which they then shared with their mothers. The children were also the protagonists of some activities prepared for World Children’s Day , in which they were able to begin to talk about the rights and duties of the little ones. But, above all, they organized surprises for their teachers: on each teacher’s birthday, the older kids prepared a real party bringing sweets and cakes and always organizing some surprises. These first months have been really important for the center and everything makes us think that 2020, thanks to the enthusiasm of the kids, the skills and sensitivity of teachers and operators and the support of the many friends of the AMU, will be a year of Hope and the desire to rebuild a childhood and a serene future, overcoming the harsh reality that the War has left.