My

Story

Hanaa’

“I come from Daraa, a City in the South of Syria. I have been here in the camp since it opened over two and a half years ago. I came here with my husband and my four children, two of which are boys. Even back in Daraa they loved to play football, and here in the camp playing football and taking part in tournaments is one of the most important things for them.

I am a Kindergarten teacher and here at the camp I got a job at a pitch. When I heard about this programme, I knew I had to take part, for my boys. It is tough here in the camp, and the children don’t have much perspective, their future is unclear. Activities are especially important for them, they help the kids grow mentally and support their personal development. I like to see how the kids are happy when playing football and how they enjoy it.

Also, this programme makes my days more interesting, it gives me a purpose and a chance to get together with other people. It has been a lot of fun, planning, playing and conducting activities together. We do not have these type of activities back in Syria. Back home, tradition is strong and there are lots of customs and social norms that won’t allow something like this. For me, this is something new, something very exciting.

We are very happy that you guys came to us. We spent beautiful days here. We hope that we are able to live up to your expectations, and able to coach and teach kids about football. We have learned a lot from you. Thank you so much.”