Aya D., a pupil from the countryside of Damascus, fifth grade, 11 years old, tells us her story beginning from escaping from the tentacles of war in her beloved country, Syria, until resorting to Dar al-Mahmud for Care wich housed her, to complete her studies in pursuit of realizing her ambition so as to become a doctor one day.

Aya says: “The war cast a shadow over us, so we fled from its oppression and its hell to walk in a barren land that exhausted our bodies and pained our feet. The journey exhausted us very much. We were painted with grooves of sadness and fear. The war robbed our children’s innocence, so much so that crying and screaming became our daily song. Crises have stolen our fathers and the homeland, which pushed us into the arms of alienation and made us tread a land we do not know before, where we move from one province to another for the sake of security and stability.”

“But the harshness of life forced my mother to enter the labor market and compete with men, for we have no other breadwinner. Every day, she goes out in the early hours of the morning to work to secure our life supplies. She used to see us off and then go to work. She used to leave us alone for a long time during which we would fall victim to loneliness and solitude until she returns to us in the evening, when smile would appear on our faces again while she used to hide the pain of fatigue and disease. We used to wait for the holiday impatiently in order to spend time together.

Despite these harsh conditions, I was eager to pursue my education and achieve excellence and distinction in my study, as well as to practise my hobbies, all in order to achieve my dreams in the future. But in the absence of the compassionate hand that guides and motivates me and because my mother was busy sacrificing her time and health for our sake, all of this seemed so difficult until we moved to Dar Al-Mahmood for Care, one of the projects of Al- Sham Humanitarian Foundation.

In the meantime, my mother became totally dedicated to our care and guidance, and we were racing together to the knowledge sessions in the Care Center. I felt it was time for me to excel in my studies. I ranked first in my school and starred in many talents such as singing, painting and others. So, I was resolved to continue to develop myself and build it until I can reach the day when my mother can see me as a doctor.