I remember our bus driving through a myriad of twisting and turning paths and alleyways as we neared the school we would be based at for the day. Along the way, I caught eyes with a cluster of small children, sat by the roadside, I remember waving and being greeted with enormous smiles, some would excitedly chase the bus till we parked outside the school until the once small crowd had multiplied tenfold.

Walking into the dimly lit hall, we were welcomed with hundreds of bright eyes and even brighter smiles. Countless small faces filled with anticipation and curiosity, they would flock around and eagerly extend their hands for a ‘high five’.

It was so incredibly heart-warming to know that most of the children had been waiting for an entire year to spend just a single day with the Project Amal ou Salam team. These children who had come from worlds filled with conflict, loss and destruction – with very little to smile about – had found happiness in our company. (more…)