Hani's Story
What’s your favourite childhood memory? Riding your bike? Playing with friends in the playground? Swimming at the local pool? Imagine if your childhood was interrupted and suddenly filled with images of bombs, tanks in the playground and missiles hitting your hometown. This is Hani’s story.
Hani is a beautiful eight-year old little boy. Like many children his age, he went to preschool, learned the alphabet and studied his numbers. He dreamt about being a vet and healing different types of animals. He enjoyed watching TV, biking, playing football and going on his computer. Life was happy.
That was until the bombs started exploding.
The conflict in Syria has now been going for over four years, and during that time has disrupted countless lives. Almost seven million children have been affected, and almost two million are living as refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Hani was at home when the bombing started. It was a day he will never forget. Busy doing his schoolwork, he was waiting for his cousin to return home so that they could play. When he heard noises outside his window, he was curious but scared. By the time his cousin finally returned home from school, he was told that there were tanks in the playground. That’s when he realised that he couldn’t go back.
“When the missiles started, they closed my school and my cousin’s school. I was sad that I couldn’t go,” said Hani.
The brutal war has resulted in a fifth of Syria’s school being destroyed, turned into shelters or taken over by armed groups. Nearly three million children in Syria and neighbouring countries are now unable to go to school on a regular basis.
On the move
At the age of eight, Hani was forced to say goodbye to a place filled with memories, happiness and joy – a place he used to call home. Hani moved from place to place and was constantly afraid for the future. All he wanted was the opportunity to learn and play again. Three months ago, Hani, along with his parents and two younger siblings have settled in one of Lebanon’s refugee camps. Life hasn’t been easier but at least Hani is safe.
“Now we’re in Lebanon, I get to go to school again. I love it so much. We have our own teacher and they let us play like we used to. I love everything about school. Although I’m scared of dogs because one chased me the other day, I still want to be a vet when I grow up,” said Hani.
No child should have experienced or witnessed the things he has seen. Fortunately, through returning to school, Hani along with many other children in similar situations are now given a safe place. A place where kids can be kids, but more importantly, a place where they can finally begin to recover from all the terrible things they have seen. Adjusting to his new ‘home’ in Lebanon, Hani is smiling again and for once since leaving home, hopeful for the future.
“I do think the rest of the world thinks about us. Even though they’re very far away they can see on the television that there’s still a war in Syria. I don’t think they’re helping a lot, but they let us watch the World Cup. They should stand with us in the war.”
World Vision has been working in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon for over ten years, and has been supplying aid to the refugee families and host community there since 2011. We’ve helped hundreds of thousands of children and adults through child protection, water and sanitation, food, and education. World Vision is gravely concerned about the impact of the crisis in Syria on a generation of children. Children have lost homes, friends, family members and witnessed or experienced violence. This Halloween we are turning a night of fear into an opportunity to send Hani and other children messages of love and support their schooling – to turn Halloween into A Night of Hope.