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“Yousef is smiling again,” his mother said. “That is something that I thought I’d never see.”
Yousef (not his real name) has undergone more hardships than any 10-year-old child should endure. He and his family lost their home during the conflict in Gaza, and he missed two years of school as the family was repeatedly displaced.
Worse yet, his right hand was seriously injured, and he suffered from severe trauma as a result.
“Following my injury, I was afraid to go outside,” Yousef said. “I stayed home most of the time and could not use my hand like before.” His mother worried that he would never return to normal. But then, she discovered hope.
“I heard about IOCC activities through the registration announced by Al Tawasol Forum Society (TFS),” his mother continued. “The team explained the project and encouraged us to bring Yousef. It gave us hope that someone cared.”
Yousef joined Enhancing Educational Opportunities and Wellbeing for Gaza’s School Aged Children project, run by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and TFS and funded by Diakonie ACT Austria. The project has helped 300 children. He took part in more than 70 educational therapy sessions to catch up on his schooling and was taught exercises to strengthen his hand.
Yousef also received psychosocial support and took part in extracurricular activities—all of which helped him overcome his fear and rebuild his confidence. “Now I can play with my friends and write with my hand again,” says Yousef, with a smile. “I am not afraid anymore.”
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