Yaseen, is a 13-year-old boy who lives with his mother, Alia, and his sister, Salwa in Syria.  Following the death of his father in July last year – Yaseen’s life was turned upside down in tough and heartbreaking circumstances. 

His father suffered from a visual impairment and chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes, which affected his ability to work as a transaction facilitator to provide for his family. The small family lived in Homs during the long years of war, moving from one house to another due to dire economic conditions.

They eventually settled in an abandoned house with the help of the neighborhood head in Zahraa district. However, they lost this house when its owners returned in December, forcing them out under gunpoint and not allowing them to take their belongings. 

Currently, the family lives in the home of Alia’s brother in Zahraa district. However, their economic situation remains dire as Alia’s brother has been unemployed since the tragic murder of his own brother, leaving him fearful for his safety. 

The family’s burdens are worsened by Yaseen’s mother’s skin condition.  Alia suffers from widespread warts on her face and body, which have caused her significant distress in two ways. Firstly, mentally, as she feels isolated and ashamed due to the community’s judgmental looks and rejection. Secondly, practically, she struggles to find work as discrimination and exclusion based on how she looks is crippling her ability to provide for her children with shop owners fearing customer rejection refuse to give her work. This has made the family’s financial burden even heavier. 

Salwa, the older sister, faces both psychological and physical challenges. She has difficulty speaking and has suffered from poor eyesight for the past five years. Additionally, she bears visible scars on her right hand from a burn accident in her childhood. These conditions have made her a target of bullying and have led to a two-year delay in her education. 

Yaseen, the youngest, is the sole breadwinner for the family and works at a nearby bakery close to the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) center, where he is enrolled in its educational program.

Despite being so young, he bears the heavy burden of supporting his family.

Often the family must rely mainly on bread, oil, and za’atar (a type of seasoning spice) as their primary meals and this has placed all their health in jeopardy. Lack of food has made Yaseen incredibly weak and he suffers from anemia and frequent nosebleeds but has not been able to see a doctor.

He left school last year to work but later returned to education after enrolling at the JRS center. At the center, he receives individual psychological support to help him cope with the responsibilities placed on him and has the compassionate support by way of food aid and giving him a safe space to just be a kid again. 

Thanks to support like YOURS Yaseen and other children facing such heartbreaking challenges can get the helping hand they need to reach their potential. 

Beyond supporting the education needs of children, through our projects vulnerable families like Yaseen’s can also receive humanitarian aid and food support.

On #WorldHumanitarianDay you can do something amazing by supporting our food appeal which is providing food aid to displaced families in Syria and Lebanon.