A dream of her own

Rural Damascus, Syria – “I still remember the sounds of fighting,” said Walaa, 14. She lives with her parents in a small farmhouse in the once-conflict-ravaged Douma of Rural Damascus. “I used to run to my mothers’ arms and hold her tight while hiding in our neighbour’s basement for hours,” she elaborated, talking about the period of the siege.

Walaa, slightly older than the country’s 13-year-old conflict, was born with Down syndrome. She has survived displacement and the loss of a sibling during the conflict. Despite hardships, she has been her family’s source of strength. “She is our sunshine on the darkest of days. Her smile and personality spread joy around,” said her mother Yusra.

Since the family’s return to their home, after respite in violence in the area, Walaa has spent a lot of time isolated there. It is mainly due to the remote location of the family’s house - away from the centre of Douma - and lack of transport. She has rarely seen her relatives who struggled to afford fuel for transportation to come and visit.

In 2022, Kholoud, a case manager with a UNICEF -supported partner in Douma, heard about Walaa. She went to visit the family and registered Walaa for UNICEF’s Integrated Social Protection programme for children with disabilities. The programme, initiated in 2016, combines regular and unconditional cash transfers with referral and case management services. To date, it has helped 8,150 children with disabilities, in Rural Damascus governorate, to reach their full potential.

Khouloud was assigned as a case manager to Walaa. She supported her with medical referrals to remove a lump in her foot that had caused her to limp, conduct a dental check-up, and examine her thyroid. “But what really made a difference in Walaa’s life was Ms Kholoud’s referral to a literacy centre. Walaa learned how to read and write there,” said Yusra about her daughter. Walaa had attended only two years of school before having to drop out at the height of conflict in Douma.

“My mother is also attending literacy classes, but I’m better than she is. I even help her to do her homework,” said Walaa. Yusra and Walaa’s competitiveness motivates both of them to study harder. The mother and daughter also benefitted from a knitting course at the same centre. Now they knit clothes during their free time.

Yusra has used the four cash transfers - the family has received so far - to buy Walaa clothes and stationery, cover her medical expenses and transport to and from the literacy centre. “I’m grateful Walaa has a social life now. She wants to go to the centre all the time to learn and meet her friends. Her teachers love her,” Yusra said.

“I have plenty of friends now, and Ms Kholoud is one of my best friends. I wait for her visits impatiently. I tell her about my progress in learning and what’s new in my life,” said Walaa.

Walaa went from only sitting at home watching TV and helping her parents around the house to having a life and dreams of her own. She wants to become a doctor in the future to help others.

Across Syria, more than 21,000 children with disabilities have benefitted from UNICEF’s Integrated Social Protection Programme between January 2022 and October 2023. This has been possible with contributions from EU Humanitarian Aid; the European Union and Government of Norway under the UN Joint Programme on Urban and Rural Resilience; the Governments of Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Spain, and Sweden; Luxembourg National Committee for UNICEF; Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation; and UNICEF’s Global Humanitarian Thematic Fund.