MEET THAMINA

My name is Thamina and I am 30 years old. I live with my husband and our three children (ages 17, 12, 10).

Before the war, we were living on a farm in the western Homs province. We had a humble house, in which we lived a safe and happy life. We had everything we needed thanks to our work in the fields. Our area was soon targeted by shells after the beginning of the war. The scariest and worst day of my life was when a shell fell on one of our rooms, where my daughter Ola was asleep. The wall collapsed completely and the debris fell on her. Ola was severely injured. She had a fracture in her neck and her spine was damaged. She suffered from vertebral dislocation. That day has changed our reality forever. We left our area seeking safety.

Ola had many surgeries on which we spent all our savings. Unfortunately, Ola is still in a poor health condition. She needs to continuously wear a metal corset and receive physical therapy.

We have been living in this area for three and a half years, after a long search of a land on which we would be allowed to settle. The tent we live in is made of used old cloth and blankets like other tents around us. Unfortunately, this tent is old and needs continuous maintenance. Rain leaks permanently and it is cold in winter but there is no alternative for now.

My biggest fear is not being able to pay for my daughter’s medical treatment. We already lack medication on a permanent basis. I also fear having to move again if I can’t pay for the rent. What made everything  worse is the absence of job opportunities to hope for a decent life.  My husband and I work as daily workers in farms for very little income. We don’t have a stable monthly income. I desperately want my children to continue their studies and not to drop out of school.

I pray that peace and stability will return to our country so our children will have the decent life they deserve.

I met the church team two years ago, through people who benefit from the food program. After we informed the church about our living conditions, the church committee paid us a visit and later on provided us with tarps. The church also helped provide me with food baskets, blankets, shoes, clothes/jackets and toys for my children, a medical mattress for my daughter, medicine, and covered the costs of all medical check-ups.

The church is a permanent helping hand for us, especially in winter as there is no agricultural work. They help us with everything they are able to and they treat my children as if they were their own. The food basket meets our needs and gives us a sense of security.

I feel strengthened and happier, especially because of how the people of the church treat my daughter. I appreciate the psychological support they offer her. She keeps talking about the church to everyone she knows, and how the church has done everything it can for her.

I hope to get a good job so that I can secure our daily needs and save money to treat my daughter. I pray for God to heal her and give me the power to be able to provide everything I can for my family.