Hozaifa Ibrahim, a 13-year-old boy, is one of the many Syrian children who had to flee their homes when the violence started in Syria.
Hozaifa lives in Masakin-Tyre, South Lebanon with his parents and two youngest sisters. His father is a tile installer who recently suffered a work injury and had to rest at home. His mother is a housewife who takes care of the house and the kids. Hozaifa, as the eldest son, is required to assist his father in earning money, therefore he works a few days a week at a grocery store in Al Bas Camp.
On other days, he participates in the informal education program at the Nour Community Center of Swiss4Lebanon, and then attends a regular school in the afternoon. Teachers at the center frequently hear Hozaifa comparing the center to the school he attends, claiming that the center is more fun and that he learns more there, while he complains that the teachers at the official school do not provide him with adequate knowledge and information.
Some month ago, Hozaifa took part in Mourjjan4Children's Creative workshop. The program's goal is to bring together Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian youth to help them overcome their differences and work together constructively. It enables the kids to express their feelings and opinions via art without fear of being judged.
Hozaifa struggled at first to work in a group and share things with his friends. He even admitted to one of the coordinators that he preferred working on his own. Hozaifa was able to work in a group at the end of the workshop and even discuss small discoveries he made as well as his feelings. Hozaifa returned to the center the next day, eager to inform his peers about his workshop experience. He even said to one of the teachers, "Yesterday was the best day of my life!" referring to the workshop's last day. Mourjjan4Children's creative workshop had such an impression on Hozaifa that he is always wondering when the next round would begin.
