A Journey to the Bekaa Valley: Witnessing the Struggles and Resilience of Syrian Refugees

 

In May 2024, thanks to donations from several English schools and other companies, I had the opportunity to visit Syrian refugees in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. The conditions in which these people live left a profound impact on me.

 

One of the most striking aspects of my visit was the mothers asking me to meet their sick or injured children who desperately needed medical care. The severe lack of food and the overall living conditions were heartbreaking. In several camps I visited, there were makeshift shelters set up to provide children with a few hours of education each day, teaching them to read and write. Tragically, these installations were destroyed by the government on the grounds that they were not legally registered. In one camp, the army even set these shelters on fire.

 

Most of the children I met were wandering amidst the debris and the stifling heat. These children endure the harsh transition from a freezing winter to the suffocating summer heat of the valley. Many tents were flooded after the snow melted, forcing the majority of the residents to sleep on moldy mattresses. Some children wore boots despite the heat, others wore broken or ill-fitting sandals, and many walked barefoot.

 

Many of these children begin working as young as eight years old, earning just two dollars a day. The children I met were harvesting potatoes. Despite their circumstances, they greeted me with smiles, made heart shapes with their hands, and welcomed me warmly. No one asked me for anything. I stood there, in the midst of this world, unable to remain indifferent.

 

With the help of a local organization called "Generous Hand Organization," we organized distributions of mattresses, clothing, and food. We also set up a classroom and purchased all the necessary materials for the children to study. Additionally, I had the chance to visit three orphanages, where most of the children came from refugee camps. There, I was able to teach and bring some smiles to these children.

 

Though it may seem like a small contribution, this experience was a chance for me to understand the immense needs in these camps. The challenges are vast, but every effort counts.