"This was the first time I made a handmade gift for my children. It made me realize how important it is to express my love to them.”

“This card will serve as some kind of an apology for the long hours I spend away from them.”

"Indeed, we need to remember the importance of our role in providing a comfortable environment for our children and that we are not too distracted and unavailable due to the pressure of work."

"I made a card for every one of my children, and God knows I have a lot more to say than what I used to express. But I have learned the lesson now."

Based on our belief that the child has the main responsibility regarding their own learning process which is made easier and more efficient in the presence of the proper materials that enrich it, and the people who support him in his decisions, the Syrian Society for Social Development, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, held a series of awareness sessions for mothers about the importance of the early years in a child’s life, developmental characteristics and the environment that can promote and support its growth, at the Shams Community Center in Aleppo.

The series included some videos, representative scenes and a group of different activities. It concluded with handicrafts made by the mothers, as they made greeting cards for their children on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr.

“Today, I learned about my rights, and this has boosted my self-confidence and me want to demand my rights without being afraid.”

"The activity was very good, I loved games and visiting the doctor who taught us about health care. I learned that I had the right to have a family without anyone differentiating between me and my sisters."

“I learned today that all children have the same rights, regardless of their age, color or birth.”

"As a young girl who is about to get married, I will try as much as I can to secure a decent life for my children in the future, in which they are able to obtain all their rights and are not exposed to protection risks. However, this will be dependent on choosing a suitable and responsible father for my children.

Believing in the importance of raising the community’ awareness on issues related to children, and in the context of strengthening the civil society’s contribution to spreading and activating the work of Child Rights Law No. 21 of 2021, the Syrian Society for Social Development, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, implemented an event entitled, (I have the Right) in all centers and social spaces.

The event targeted children and their families, and aimed to raise societal awareness of the importance of children's rights and the risks of depriving them from these rights. It also shed light on the rights that the law worked to preserve.

The event included an explanation of the basic rights of the child, the definition of the child and the universally accepted age, and concluded with a mural on the rights of the child, in which the children participated by coloring and writing their rights on it.

"My daughter was shy. I didn't expect her to sing and play with the other children. I hope these activities will continue in the future."

"We were very happy with the games we played, and we did not know that children with disabilities are able to play."

Believing that the process of integrating children with disabilities into society activates their role through their active participation in activities and the establishment of social relationships, the Syrian Society for Social Development, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, implemented a series of different inclusive recreational and educational activities, in which children with different disabilities (audio, visual, motor, mental development delays and Down syndrome) were integrated with the rest of the children in the Maskana Community Center in Aleppo countryside.

In an atmosphere of intimacy, joy and fun, the children participated in a range of activities such as (Ring Walking – Skipping over barriers - Basketball - Playing Musical Instruments - Racket Game - Throwing the Ball at the Target - Moving Ball - Ring Racing – Reversing Directions - Where is the Sound Coming From) and also a group of segments such as (the beginning of a new journey - our love brought us together - we will share our times together - strengthening our senses - my beautiful words)

These sessions contributed to improving the children's lifestyle and increasing their sense of comfort and relief.

"The methods we learned today will help my son understand anyone who will want to talk to him."

"I will let people know the right way to describe my son’s disability. He has special needs."

With the aim of empowering children with hearing disabilities to understand the words of others and distinguish their voices and to preserve their auditory remains, the Syrian Society for Social Development, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, held a training workshop for caregivers in the home rehabilitation program for persons with disabilities entitled Basic Initial Interventions for Hearing Impairment. The workshop was held in the Maskana community center in the countryside of Aleppo.

The workshop included defining hearing impairment, its types and classifications according to its source and severity, audio devices such as hearing aids, the FM device and the cochlear implant surgery, in addition to a success story of a woman who benefited from training on methods of auditory rehabilitation and cochlear implant and came back to life and continued her education as a result of the supportive environment.

In the end, guidelines for dealing with the hearing impaired were explained and parents were trained on them.

The workshop helped to instill hope among the caregivers that their children could be self-reliant and integrate themselves into society.

"This was the first time I saw the countryside. I liked the contrast we saw in cultures between the city and the countryside."

"Today, we learned about the types of irrigation, how to plant, in addition to the different types of crops"

"I must take better care of my little sister and explain to her about the danger of forced early marriage, especially since pregnancy at a young age can lead to many health and medical problems.

Going out into the nature liberates the mind and spirit, and teaches children lessons that they cannot acquire anywhere else, that help them develop new skills through the adventures they can experience there. Therefore, the Syrian Society for Social Development, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, implemented an activity for children of the 65th batch of the Syrian Scouts, in the Al Wadhihi community space.

The activity included a walk to get to learn more about the countryside, the types of crops and how to properly irrigate and take care of them, a segment on the environmental differences between the countryside and the city, and an awareness session on the dangers of forced early marriage and its negative effects and the best ways to mitigate it.

"I needed to have such a fun day. The diversity of activities is what I like about it best. The fun I Had today made me go back to my school days."

"I have not felt like this for a really long time. I was just like a child again playing on the streets with my friends. This day has definitely changed my mood. "

Since men are the base pillar of building a family, and in response to their need to ease the life burdens they are facing, the Syrian Society for Social Development, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, implemented an activity entitled (Health Benefit of Having Fun) as part of the activities of the Hear My Heart program at the Mosaic Community Center in Aleppo.

The activity included recreational games and competitions and in addition to other activities: imitating characters – singing - dancing - basketball - bowling.

The men interacted enthusiastically with the different segments, and joy was clear in their

"The phrase my son's health is my responsibility really caught my attention. Perhaps I made the mistake of not paying attention when it came to the small matters, but even those have a great impact on my son's health and growth. But that will change after what I have learned today."

"I have benefited from the medical information that was presented today and will try my best to adhere to the health guidelines so that I will rest assured that I provided my son with his rights to the fullest."

Child neglect is a form of abuse, and it leads to depriving the child of their basic needs, including not receiving adequate supervision or health care. In order to raise the awareness of mothers about the dangers of health neglect and its negative consequences on the child’s physical, mental and psychological health,

 the Syrian Society for Social Development, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, implemented an awareness session entitled “My child’s health is my responsibility” within the child-friendly space at the Mosaic Community Center in Aleppo city.

The session included a video presentation on the types of health neglect and its consequences, a discussion with a nutritionist about proper nutrition for children, presenting pictures of examples of health neglect, and the distribution of brochures for sound health guidelines.

"After we harvest the crops, we start a fire on the land. We did not know that fire would make snakes escape and sneak into homes."

"We learned today how to help a person who was stung, which is especially important these days as we hear the widespread of these bites."

“It is necessary to help the patient relax so that fear and anxiety don’t make the situation worse.”

the high temperatures encourage different types of snakes, scorpions and poisonous insects come out of their burrows, causing panic and fear in the hearts of the population, especially children.

With the aim of educating children about the dangers of bites, and how to perform the necessary first aid for the injured, the Syrian Society for Social Development, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, implemented a session entitled (First Aid For Animal Bites), which was carried out in partnership with the medical point in the Al Hader area in Aleppo countryside.

The session included a visit to the doctor, who introduced the children to bites, their types, the symptoms that appear on the victim's body, and how to act in the event of being bitten.

This was followed by an explanatory video presentation on first aid to protect the victim from being stung and the need to call an ambulance and perform the necessary first aid until the victim arrives at the hospital and is given the anti-venom.

In conclusion, a practical experiment was carried out on how to rescue the stung victim by following the following steps:

1- Calming the patient

2- Applying ice on the sting to reduce the spread of poison.

3- Tying the point above injury.

4- Making an incision in the wound and sucking the poison, provided that there are no wounds in the mouth of the paramedic.

5- Transferring the injured to the hospital without moving it.