Food, shelter, clothing, and education, are basic rights of children, but what if these rights turn into duties, and the child has to do all the work for himself, in addition to other tasks imposed on him by extraordinary circumstances that force him to go beyond the norms?!
What works await her after school?
Dalal tries every day to hurry home from her school in the accommodation center in Swaida, to use the time to finish her homework and fulfill her responsibilities towards her family.
She teaches her little sister, brings water, and prepares the food, she also attends awareness sessions with the #SyrianArabRedCrescent volunteers, and gets the aid allocated to her family on behalf of her mother.
Unusual circumstances
The-14 year-old girl had to adapt to a new lifestyle full of heavy burden of responsibilities; after her father experienced several strokes that left him with lower limb disability, and forced the family to live in the accommodation center for their inability to rent a home.
Added responsibilities
Dalal takes care of her sick father till her mother comes home from her hard work, then she goes to fetch water and bring home groceries.
A different sense of the holiday
Weekends and holidays are a chance for students to rest and enjoy, but their meaning for Dalal is different because she considers the weekend as an opportunity to work, so she goes apple picking to earn some money and help her parents and brothers with their needs.
Syria’s decade of agony posed great challenges for Dalal as well as for other children, and she is one of many girls who carry heavy responsibilities, and provide a great amount of care and attention for those around them, as their little bodies are filled with determination mixed with love and sacrifice.
