MEET SALWA

Sara (right) and her friends at our partner child friendly space in Mhardeh

My name is Salwa, I am married and have two children, Walid and Sara, who are 9 and 6 years old. My husband is an engineer and used to work as a customs officer, while I work as a teacher in a school.

Our ordeal started when my husband was falsely accused of theft and was sentenced to six months of prison for something he didn’t do. When he came out of jail, he was immediately let go from his job and remained unemployed for more than a year, which pushed him into depression. This took a huge toll on my husband’s mental health, and it affected all of the family at the same time. I was the sole provider for my household, which added so much pressure and I had so much anger towards the injustice that we faced as a family.

Both our children were showing signs of distress and anxiousness, especially because they couldn’t understand why their father had suddenly been absent from home. My son Walid had behavioral problems that I didn’t know how to handle. He was stubborn and resistant, and Sara was always scared and would constantly cry. I had a lot of pent-up anger, so I didn’t have the mental capacity to handle what my children were going through. I know that both my children are very intelligent and special, but they needed help.

When Walid started going to the child friendly space (CFS), he slowly started showing behavioral improvements. His father and I could tell he was becoming more social. He would come home and tell us all about what he had learnt at the center, which encouraged us to register his younger sister Sara. When she turned five, she went too and it has been amazing. They are both happy, communicate better at home, are aware of their feelings and talk about them, and are opening up more to making new friends.

The center has been a huge help and we are very grateful for all the staff and administration there. They treat my kids with so much love and respect and they have given them a second home. I am happy my kids get to spend time in a safe environment where they can grow, have fun, and meet other children. It has changed my children’s lives, helped them improve mentally and physically, and in turn it also changed our entire family dynamics. I even started going to the center myself to attend the sessions they hold for parents. I have learnt a lot and it has been nice meeting other parents with similar stories. 

I thank God for showing us that there are still good people out there that are willing to help.