Syrian refugees are leaving home with the clothes they have on their back and not much else, but one things these kids hold onto is hope. When you talk to child refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, or Iraq, you hear their terror, fear, and anxiety, but you also hear their courage, strength, and dreams. Learn about these Syrian refugee children and their story.
Absi, age 10, faces the daily hardship of refugee life in Jordan. The war tore Absi from his beloved father more than a year ago, forcing the child and the women of his family to escape fighting in their homeland. His father never made it out. At Omerbenkhattab Street garage in Irbid, Jordan, Absi works 10 to 12 hours a day, eking out two Jordanian dinars ($2.80) — just enough to buy bread for his family.
Hazar, 17, is like thousands of other young people from Syria who fled the war. “When I first came here, I didn’t go out much. I used to be very afraid when I went to the school,” says Hazar. World Vision’s Adolescent Friendly Spaces (AFS) are playing a huge role in helping young teens manage these changes. Hazar enjoys and looks forward to the time she spends at the Adolescent Friendly Space, in Irbid, Jordan. Although Hazar loves spending time here, she is worried that she may not ever go back home. “I’m worried that time would pass and we wouldn’t go back to Syria at all. This is what scares me the most,” she says.
Qamar, age 8, isn’t sure what she wants to be when she grows up. She’s trying to decide between becoming a doctor, so she can cure people who ask for her help, or a tailor, so she can sew dresses for her toys. For the last two years Qamar’s family have been living in Jordan, after they escaped the fighting in Syria. Their first stop was Za’atari Refugee Camp, before moving three times to finally settlle in their current building, where six of them are trying to adjust to a new life. Qamar, who was five when she left Syria, says, “I prefer the old house because it is in my home country. When I was in Syria, I was never afraid of anything…I want to return to Syria once the war and shooting is over.”
Hani, 8, is a Syrian refugee in Lebanon. Now that he is in Lebanon, Hani’s life has changed. He doesn’t live in his house or have his bike to play with and his friends and cousins are no longer near him. While he doesn’t experience war now, Hani misses the life he knew. “My home back in Syria is better. Here, it’s unfinished and it’s broken. Back in Syria it was beautiful…I’ve forgotten my bicycle. I’ve forgotten all my toys. I’ve forgotten my computer. They’re gone now. They’re pieces.”
Baker, 5, is a Syrian refugee in Southern Lebanon, who has a physical disability. With his tears and determined screams, “I want to go to school!” he proved that his physical disability, though it may not allow him to walk, could never stop him from attending his Early Childhood Education program with World Vision. The treatment for Baker’s disability should have started three years ago, but the war in Syria reached his house and neighborhood, forcing his family to flee. Baker hopes to be a sports teacher when he grows up and enjoys cheering on his classmates as they play. “While sitting, Baker watches happily as his friends play and try to score goals. You can read happiness and excitement in his eyes, although he is not running with them,” smiles Souad, one of his teachers.
To read more refugee stories visit The Stories that Go Untold!
This year the U.S. government is going to continue the conversation around refugees. You can help by asking Congress to remember their needs this winter, wherever they are.
This article was contributed in support of World Vision.The views expressed here are not necessarily those of each of the partners of Global Citizen.