Your timely arrival is a great relief

“Those hens are the sole resource my granddaughter and I rely on for a living. We use some of the eggs they produce to prepare our meals and sell the rest to purchase essential items like hygiene products,” Kamila shared.  

Sitting in her partially destroyed house in the village of Tal Daden in rural Aleppo, Kamila, 60 years old, gazed at her sleeping granddaughter. A mix of sorrow and despair could be seen in her eyes.  

Kamila, who lost her husband five years ago, is now feeling lonely. Her children had no choice but to part ways with their mother to secure a livelihood for themselves and their families. It has been three years since she last saw three of them, and she greatly misses their presence. However, Kamila continually prays for their well-being and happiness.

Despite having nine children, she finds herself living with her nine-year-old granddaughter as her only companion. The young girl was named after her grandmother, who loves her so much. After her father passed away during the Syrian crisis, Kamila moved to live with her grandmother.

When the Medair team visited Kamila, she was heading toward an open area next to her house, where she keeps her four hens. “I will provide water for the hens. Since I couldn't afford to feed them, they used to look for something to eat in nearby houses or fields. Then, they return to sleep in their designated area,” she explained. “Those hens are the sole resource that Kamila and I rely on for a living.  

We use some of the eggs they produce to prepare our meals and sell the rest to purchase essential items like hygiene products,” Kamila added.

While having a conversation with her, the team learned from Kamila that her family used to rely on the income of her retired husband before he passed away. "Even though it was a poor income, it helped us to afford our essential needs," Kamila revealed. "Currently, my neighbours occasionally support us with food or clothing for my grandchild. Despite their financial limitations, they are incredibly kind and willing to assist me," she added.

After a while, the Medair team bid farewell to Kamila, promising to return with assistance. A few days later, as little Kamila played near the house, she noticed the team approaching. With joy filling her heart, she raced to inform her grandmother, exclaiming, "They have returned, and they are carrying boxes and jerry cans!"

Medair delivered a hygiene kit that contained ten bars of soap, shampoo, washing powder, washing liquid, a bottle of chlorine, toothpaste, two toothbrushes, and a bathroom sponge, in addition to three jerry cans so they could get water from a nearby water tank.  

Kamila was so pleased to see the items and said, “We have a pile of dirty laundry that requires washing. However, I don’t have any money to buy washing powder to clean them, and I was praying to have some assistance. Your timely arrival is a great relief, as we are now left with no clean clothes.”

Thanks to the support from La Region Auvergne Rhone Alpes and the Agence de l’eau that made it possible for Medair to provide 10,079 individuals in Aleppo and rural Aleppo with hygiene kits, female hygiene kits and jerry cans during the period from April until August. Medair hopes to expand its humanitarian aid and extend help to a larger number of individuals with the support of generous donors like you.  

 Medair’s work in Syria is made possible by La Region Auvergne Rhone Alpes, Agence de l’eau, and generous private donors like you.

This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organization.

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