Syria, the reciprocity that creates bonds

One of the summer activities of the after-school program in Homs brought the children to meet the guests with special needs of the “Bahjat al-Hayat” (The Joy of Life) center. When the operators of the after-school program Generation of Hope in Homs ( Seeds of Hope program, in Syria) explained the proposal, the second and third year middle school children were a little hesitant , attentive and curious, but they didn’t know exactly how it would go. Also encouraged by the families who gave full trust to the operators, they accepted the invitation to prepare small handicrafts to complete together with the guests of the center. All doubts, however, were dispelled upon arrival. The boys were welcomed by the guests of “Bahjat al-Hayat”, they began to introduce themselves to each other and to work together on the gifts they had brought. It was not difficult to find the language to understand each other better. : with Maggie, for example, who can’t use scissors, they were patient and helped her finish her task. The day passed with great joy, everyone committed to finishing the work as best as possible and to accompanying friends with more difficulties. For the young people it was an important moment of reciprocity: they who receive assistance and support from the Generazione di Speranza center have in turn become special assistants and have been able to give back to others the attention and affection they receive every day. “This experience was important for us, we felt a special joy in being able to collaborate with these people in difficulty. And they seemed happy to be with us. We felt like a family”.