In Syria, March 18 is celebrated as Teachers’ Day, but the children at the “Generation of Hope” center in Homs have decided to celebrate their teachers on every birthday.
In a land tormented by the signs of war, where daily difficulties are increasingly felt in the lives of families, children and young people try to look to the future and know that to do so, education and personal growth are fundamental elements. This is why the after-school centers of the Seeds of Hope Program are always very popular: they represent for the kids the possibility of being followed in their school career and of having training experiences that will accompany them to become protagonists of their future and of the rebirth of their country. The strength of these centers lies above all in the relationship that is created between teachers and students . Not just a transfer of knowledge, but a friendship that strengthens both. To show their gratitude towards those who accompany them in their educational path, the kids of the “Generation of Hope” center in Homs this year have decided to give a special party to each teacher, on their birthday. The kids have learned to save from their daily expenses, even if they are already minimal, to share what they have, each according to their possibilities, to buy a gift, a cake or some snacks to celebrate their teachers in a worthy manner. In these weeks, Manar, one of the kids’ most beloved teachers, will leave his job and also the country. Everyone is very sorry, but to show their affection and gratitude, everyone has given their best to organize the party. For example, Mais, a sixth-grade student who comes from a family in particular economic difficulty and who cannot always contribute to the teachers’ parties, made an incredible effort for Manar. Every day she saved something and in the end she put together a nice sum that allowed her to contribute and also cover the share of her friends who did not have money to share. Teachers’ parties are very important moments for the children of the center, on one hand they are moments of conviviality and serenity, despite the problems that families experience every day, on the other they are a concrete gesture of reciprocity from the children towards those who build with them a hope for the future.
