Ammar playing at SOS small group home
SOS small group homes – September 23 2021

Ammar finds love and care at SOS small group homes

Three-year-old Ammar lost his mother in 2018 when he was only five months old. Today he lives in a happy family-based environment in SOS Small group homes with his siblings and caregiver who helped him take his first steps in life.

Three-year-old Ammar lost his mother in 2018 when he was only five months old. A month later, Ammar and his three older siblings were welcomed at SOS interim care centre in Saboura to find shelter and protection. Unfortunately, the children could not stay with their family, especially that their father was taken to serve in the military in Aleppo after their mother died. Moreover, their aunt could not take care of them due to her poor living conditions that pushed her to bring the children to SOS interim care centre.

Today Ammar and his siblings live in SOS small group homes (SGHs) in Sahnaya, Damascus rural. He moved there in 2019 to receive alternative family care from professional caregivers in a family-like environment that helps him live a normal and happy childhood. Moreover, he started going to the nursery this year, where he plays and meets children from the surrounding community.

Ammar’s health condition and psychological situation have improved a lot after he moved to the SOS SGHs. During the last two years, he received intensive care to cope with his new life away from his mother and accept the milk bottle instead of his mother’s breast milk. 

 

When we first met Ammar, he still had a wound scar on his head. This wound was caused by shrapnel that struck him while he was in his mother's arms the moment she died with a shell

Niven, SOS psychologist

 

 

In addition to the alternative care services that Ammar receive at the SGHs, he also receives psychological support to ensure that he overcame the incident he went through when he lost his mother. This support comes in individual and group sessions that the psychologist conduct to help Ammar heal from his traumatic experience.

Ammar is so close to his caregiver Rana who raised him as his alternative mother. She helped him learn how to use the toilet, how to eat and how to walk. Despite the absence of his mother, Ammar was in the arms of his loving caregiver every time he took the Vaccines. “Not only Rana, but all the caregivers, children and psychologists at the SGHs Sahnaya love Ammar. He brings happiness to all of us with his beautiful heart and cute smile,” said Niven.

Ammar and his siblings are in the transition period to be reunified with their father, who is expected to end his military service by the end of 2021. This reunification process is going to be supported by SOS team, who will provide the needed help for Ammar's father to ensure that he and his siblings receive care and live in a safe family environment. Moreover, the father informed SOS team that he recently got married to a new woman and she expressed her willingness to take care of the children even if their father has to serve in the military for another few months.

Ammar is one of 45 children who found home, family and supportive community at SOS SGHs Sahnaya. Even when SOS team reunify him with his family in the future, he will carry with him all the beautiful memories that he lived with his alternative family which supported him in a difficult stage that he is went through in his life.

The child's name was has been changed to protect his privacy.