Omar has always been a high achiever, a serious student, and a good climber. At the age of two, his parents found him on top of a ladder. As he grew older, he would climb trees to avoid having his hair cut. Family members chuckle as they remember his precocious youth.
Those days seem light years away now. Omar is only 11, but as the Syria conflict enters its seventh year, he and his siblings have seen a lifetime of war.
The family remembers distinctly the day they had to flee their home.
“We were under siege and shelling,” Omar’s father, Yassin explains. “My father had been shot in the knee by a sniper. They amputated the leg, but he died two weeks later from infection.” His sister-in-law, too, was shot in the stomach and died two days later.
“We were so afraid, terrified by the sounds of bombing, the planes overhead, and the snipers.” He takes a moment to breath.
“Then our home was raided by the military, twice. They forced their way in. The last time, our daughter, Renad, was awake. She was petrified.” That was the night the parents knew they must go. They risked sniper fire escaping the town, but felt they had no choice. Four years later, the sight of a uniformed man still terrifies their nine year old daughter.
While they are safe from war today, the family continues to face many challenges as refugees in Jordan. Living expenses, medical expenses, and ever-increasing debt are among their greatest concerns. While CARE provided them with assistance this winter, the family receives very little aid.
“We haven’t paid our rent in months,” says Yassin. “We owe the landlord a lot of money.”
Mold and mildew cover the walls and ceilings of their small apartment in Amman. The mother, Aseah, describes scrubbing the walls frequently, but the mold continues to creep back. The fungus has a troubling impact on Omar’s asthma, which the parents constantly watch to ensure he is medicated. This costs money
.
Omar, 11, is a high achiever, a serious student. He helps his mother around the house, caring for his active younger brothers, Mohannad, 7, and Musa, 2, with some assistance from sister, Renad, 9.
Some families, feeling the pressure of increasing debt, send their boys to work in the streets, selling tissue or snacks.
“Not Omar, not my children,” says Yassin, who acknowledges the additional debt they must carry since losing their home and livelihood in Syria.
“I don’t agree with children having to work,” the father says. “A child’s education is the most important thing,” he adds, looking thoughtfully at his children. “I will not allow what happened to me to happen to them.” The father of four completed his grade nine studies and went immediately to work. Today, however, Yassin believes that with education comes opportunity. Back home, he worked in a supermarket and then in construction, but in Jordan he has not been able to find steady work as Syrians must acquire a work permit, which can be difficult and complicated with multiple restrictions.
Focusing on their children, and their hope for the future, the parents praise Omar. “He is excellent in math,” they say. He’s also a star student, explaining that children should listen to their teachers and try not to be so naughty.
“In the future, I’d like to be a construction engineer,” the boy adds, confidently. His proud parents are beaming. “The first thing I’ll do is rebuild our house in Syria. And then I’m going to visit my kindergarten teacher, Amouna.”
By Mary Kate MacIsaac, CARE Regional Syria Response Communications Coordinator
For more about our work in Syria here.