The echoes of conflict won’t haunt me anymore

For many, the streets of their neighborhood and the walls of their houses echo with laughter and fond memories. But what happens when those “safe spaces” turn into places resembling their worst nightmare? "With all the misery I was experiencing back at home, I was asking myself, how can anyone experience hell on earth," says 23-year-old Samia*.

Conflict in Syria claimed over 300,000  souls, destroyed homes and infrastructures and caused over 80,000 to lose a limb, leaving Syrians mentally and physically drained.

For Samia, the scars of conflict are still carved on her body.

Samia's family once led a modest but happy life. Everything crumbled when the crisis hit and her world became unrecognisable as she got chased by conflict's monsters, “whatever good of a life we had in Syria was wiped away by bombs and ashes. We lived every day in the shadow of fear, but our final straw was when a plane hit our home, turning it into a rubble and stealing my leg. All we wanted was to escape”, shares Samia.

With heartbreak and confusion yet determination, the family of four headed to Azraq camp in 2016, a journey that took three days and way too many routes. But the family continued, praying for a better tomorrow, “we thought anything would be better than what we experienced in Syria”.

But how did things turn around for Samia?

“When I came to Azraq camp with my mother and brothers, we had nothing, not even an extremity for my lost leg, here they gave me an extremity, a roof over my head and a chance to finally feel at peace after five years”, recalls Samia. For this family, coming to Jordan was like a road to salvation, “although we were terrified when we first came here, it’s nothing compared to the horrors we faced”, reflected Samia*.  

But this was far from the last chapter in their tale. World Vision Syria Response with the generous funding from the European Union Commission and Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, through the German Corporation for International Cooperation [GIZ], ensured that this family had the opportunity to embrace a new life; filled with independence and dignity.

But things weren’t always smooth sailing, before, Samia asked,

How will we meet our needs? A question that weighed heavily on Samia's mind as she thought about her mother and siblings’ challenging living conditions in the camp but World Vision Syria Response had the answer with the Solid Waste Management Programme (SWM).“We could barely afford food especially with the limited aid but when I got the volunteering opportunity with World Vision as a litter picker, I felt a renewed sense of empowerment”, states Samia.

Our SWM Programme is dedicated to raising awareness and managing waste through collection, disinfection, dismantling, and recycling. But this is not the only focus, one of its main goals is   inclusivity and creating a comfortable, accommodating environment for all and Samia is no stranger, “ World Vision knew I had an extremity and they made sure I’m comfortable in my role as a litter picker, I love my Job”, says Samia.

But financial stability is not the only driver for Samia, her feelings towards the Programme are much deeper; “I think our work here is detrimental to our community, we prevent diseases and eliminate waste, the doctor treats diseases but we prevent it from the first place. Without our work, the camp will be unbearable. finishes Samia*.

But Samia isn’t the only one deriving motivation through the SWM Programme and its achievements, Anas Al Kelani, our senior engineer shared some moving insights after years of dedicated work and witnessing transformation unfold daily before his eyes.

To know more, Anas invited us to the world of the SWM Programme sharing, “there are countless reasons I love our work here. From a humanitarian perspective, we're not just improving Syrians’ livelihoods; we're helping them build a cleaner, healthier and more aware community. And thankfully, we are reaching all families in the camp with our work”.

When asked about the importance of litter pickers like Samia, he added, “the litter pickers are our right hand at the camp and without their relentless efforts, the camp would never be as clean and livable as it is. What’s truly inspiring is our emphasis on including special cases and people with disabilities in our Programme. Despite the challenges they face, the still show undeniable commitment to their work”.

With that being said, Anas also adds, “the SWM Programme isn’t only a programme, it’s a second family, “many Syrians here have endured indescribable hardships, making it hard for them to open up. Yet, within our community, they find the support and understanding they need for closure. It fills me with immense joy to witness their healing and see them rebuild their lives through Programmes like SWM, despite all the obstacles they've faced”.

Samia finishes by saying, “Although our work is sometimes tiring, I don’t mind it if it means my community will be clean and safe. And with World Vision’s staff kind words, I always have the motivation to continue”.

Although scars and heartaches were present in Syrian lives, for Samia and over 4,000 others benefited, healing prevails as they turn their pain into purpose.

*Names have been changed to protect identity

“This publication was created with the financial support of the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Its contents are the sole responsibility of World Vision Syria Response and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EU or BMZ”