Refugee week: The Syrian refugees rebuilding family life in Lebanon
Above: (i) Walid and his father; (ii) Walid reading a book at home; (iii) Walid at Tahaddi Education Centre
After Walid’s father was detained and tortured in Damascus during the Syrian civil war, he and his young son fled to Lebanon to seek refuge.
Life was initially very hard. Walid’s father struggled to hold down a job, eventually turning to alcohol to escape his painful past and present. Both father and son ended up begging on the streets of Beirut.
But things are different now. Walid’s father is going through treatment and counselling for his addiction, and he has found a job driving a ‘tuk tuk’ in a local market. Perhaps most importantly of all, he has discovered our partner, Tahaddi Education Centre, which provides free education for children from families facing extreme economic hardship.
Walid’s father says: “Today I watch my child develop and grow, despite the hardships we endured … I love watching him study at home. This has restored my hope in life!”
As for Walid, he is overjoyed to have the chance to be in school and he looks forward to getting up in the morning and putting on his uniform. In his own words: “I like all my classes, especially Maths and English. I also enjoy seeing my friends and studying together. In the future, I want to be a doctor and treat people for free.”
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