When Mona* first visited Manara Youth Centre (MYC) in Lebanon, she was overwhelmed. A refugee from Syria and a mother of five, she carried deep emotional wounds from the trauma of fleeing conflict and being separated from her children.
‘When war broke out, my in-laws took my kids to Turkey, and I was forced to stay behind. We were separated for more than two years,’ explains Mona.
‘They lived through bombing, fear, and hunger. I still remember my son telling me how a plane struck the building they were in while his sister was asleep.’
Reunited in Lebanon, Mona carried the weight of those experiences while doing her best to provide for her children. But the burden was heavy.
‘These are scars that don’t fade easily.’
From trauma to courage
As any mother would, wanting her children to heal, Mona encouraged her 14-year-old daughter to join one of the girls’ initiatives at the MYC. Run by one of Tearfund’s local partners, the centre is a sanctuary of hope and healing, helping young people process their trauma and simply be children and have fun again.
But it wasn’t just Mona’s daughter who was to benefit. Only a few weeks later, one of the counsellors noticed Mona’s struggle and invited her to join a session for caregivers. Mona didn’t hesitate.
‘I didn’t expect much, but talking to the counsellor gave me something I hadn’t felt in a long time: relief. I could finally talk about my pain without being judged.’
To help Mona continue to process her anxiety and anger caused by her ordeal and displacement, the centre went further, arranging one-to-one sessions with a therapist. They even provided transportation to make it easier for her to attend.
