Written by the Azione per un Mondo Unito (AMU) editorial team

Another story of solidarity from Syria where the war lives on, less intensively than before, but silently present in everyone’s lives.  Years of suffering cannot be erased, but thanks to acts of solidarity, we can see light at the end of the tunnel.

For example, thanks to AMU and to the RISE – Response in Syria Emergency programme, a football tournament became a ‘tournament of joyful celebration’.

The children faces are smiling, they are happy.  A little tired, maybe, but what does that matter when it’s playing that has made them tired, and being together, spending the whole day chasing a ball on a football pitch in Aleppo?

The children and young people from this martyred Syrian city, have risen to the challenge – with all the carefree enthusiasm of their age – of overcoming those terrifying moments of the earthquake which struck on 6th February last year.

Their annual tournament organised by the scouts of the Maronite Church is going ahead! Together with RISE – Response in Syria Emergency (in collaboration with Focolare Emergency co-ordinating group, AMU and AFN) – the money arrives to buy footballs, medals, cups and nets… it means so much to the people and city of Aleppo who have suffered so much that the 2023 tournament is going ahead!

Salem, one of the boys involved in the event tells us “I belong to the Scouts of the Maronite Church; every year we hold this tournament for children aged between 9 and 18 years old, to bring them some happiness.  It’s impossible to forget how hard it has been this year, since the earthquake, but we decided not to give up, so as to bring some happiness to everyone.

Did they succeed?

The answer is in the words and face of little George: “it’s been so hard this year, especially after the earthquake.  But we still played; it was really fun and we forgot about everything”.

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