Eye-opener Experience
My 3rd day of volunteering was not an easy day. It was exciting and I learned a lot but it was far from easy. Hani told me something at the end of the day that stuck with me: “it is not always La vie en rose…”. Volunteering in Ashkout could be considered relatively easy compared to the day we went to Baysariye. We were divided into two groups; Fadi and I went to visit a camp and another group went to another one.
When I first got to the refugee camp I couldn’t believe my own eyes. The building was still “under construction”. It made me realize how bad the conditions the refugees live in are. I knew they were bad but seeing in firsthand made it even more real. The people there were more than welcoming. They welcomed us in with open arms. The building was filled with kids running around and mothers running after them; it felt like just any regular family. All the kids from the neighborhood gathered in one building to attend the activities we were holding. They were so excited. When we started talking to the kids I realized that they have hope; most of them wanted to be doctors or English teachers and of course a few wanted to be football players. This put a smile on my face. And what made the day even better is when a young 13 year old girl commented on gender equality in Arabic a sentence that translates to: “Yes! Of course! Women make up half the world!”. Another young man said: “of course women can do what men can do! They can do even more if they’re given the chance!” However, things got harder when Fadi and I went to meet the other group. We got there and saw a huge number of kids getting out of the bus. I was helping with the distribution of refreshments such as water, juice and snacks. One kid came up to me and told me I hadn’t given him anything. Yet I remember giving him refreshments while pointing out his beautiful green eyes. I thought to myself maybe you’re mistaken; there are too many kids you probably lost track. A few minutes later another kid came up to me and said the same thing. At this point I caught up; they were coming back for more acting as if we hadn’t given them anything. It was very hard to say no to them. Some kids actually hadn’t gotten any refreshments yet. But how can I say no? I have to admit that wasn’t easy.
This whole experience made me realize how privileged one can be without even noticing. This experience has made me much more grateful and thankful for what I have. It has encouraged me to try and help anytime and however I can!