Gina, 13, received surgery and rehabilitation treatment for a hip deformity. Today, she can walk without difficulty and is back at school.

Gina and her family fled Syria in 2014 to escape the war and seek refuge in Zarka, Jordan. Their journey was a difficult one, walking for hours along poor roads.

Once they arrived in Jordan, Gina's parents noticed that she was limping and in pain when she walked. After consultations, an orthopedic doctor diagnosed her with hip dysplasia.

“Going to school was very difficult, because my classroom is on the second floor and it was painful to climb the stairs,” Gina explains.

With Humanity & Inclusion’s support, Gina had successful hip surgery in November 2021. After the operation, she spent six weeks at home in a cast.

Gina received rehabilitation treatment three times a week at the Zarka Community Development Center, operated by Humanity & Inclusion's local partner. She also did exercises at home.

Her rehabilitation sessions involved strength and balance training and range of motion exercises. At first, she couldn’t walk on her own and used a walker for short trips and a wheelchair for longer ones.

As her caregiver, Gina's mother was given advice on how to assist her with her day-to-day activities at home.

Three months after starting her rehabilitation exercises, Gina was walking on her own again.

“The home exercises were very effective," Gina says. “Now I can walk on my own again and without pain.”

Gina is ambitious. She is learning Spanish and hopes to be fluent one day. She dreams of being a veterinarian so she can help animals.

“I like to stay at home with my family during the summer holidays,” Gina adds. “We all cook together and sometimes we go swimming. I love that.”

These activities are funded in part by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

After two major injuries, Ahmad could no longer work as a manufacturing tailor. Living in Jordan as a refugee, he’s received training and resources from Humanity & Inclusion to build a successful business from home.

Originally from Syria, Ahmad was injured in the crisis when he leg was struck by shrapnel from an explosive weapon, leaving him with a physical disability. Later, he fell from the third floor of a building, breaking a vertebra and causing severe tendon spasms and pain in his leg. At the time, Ahmad had been working as a tailor for a clothing manufacturing company, but the pain in his leg made it difficult to leave home and impossible to continue the long hours his job required.

“During this time, I received strong support from my family—especially from my wife, who worked as a volunteer to stay by my side while I could not work,” says Ahmad.

Now 29, Ahmad lives in Jordan with his wife and three children, two of whom also have disabilities.

Starting a business

Ahmad’s first contact with Humanity & Inclusion’s teams was through rehabilitation services to reduce his pain and increase his mobility. He was later referred to Humanity & Inclusion’s livelihood support activities to identify employment opportunities.  

“We visited Ahmad at home to learn about his economic situation and his skills,” explains Shaima Anabtawi, Humanity & Inclusion’s inclusive livelihood officer. “He explained that he wanted to improve his English skills, understand his rights as a person with a disability, increase his ability to communicate and learn to better integrate into society. He also showed a great interest in continuing tailoring, and wanted to start his own business. We developed an individual action plan based on the assessment and his aspirations.”

Ahmad had only attended primary school, where he learned to read and write, but his education had stopped there. Ahmad began training courses designed to support his business plan, budget development and teach him how to be self-employed. Throughout the process, he also received coaching, mentorship and financial assistance from Humanity & Inclusion. With that support, he purchased a sewing machine, scissors, an iron and fabric. To reach more customers, Ahmad also learned essential computer skills to promote his products online through e-marketing and social media.

Ahmad in his home sewing studio with one of his children during a visit with Humanity & Inclusion staff.

Ahmad’s success

Today, Ahmad operates his own sewing business from home. Initially, he planned to make only blankets, bed covers, pillowcases, and Arabic sofas, but he is now expanding his business to include women’s clothing. Only one month after starting his home business, he was able to buy a second sewing machine for his wife. They hope to work together to continue growing the business and meet more orders as a team.

The income he receives has enabled him to purchase a walking frame and cane to help him move around. He is also proud that he can make some changes for his family.

“My previous house was small and there was humidity in the walls, which is not healthy for my children,” he explains. “After selling enough products with my home business, it gave me the push to change my house. We now live in a bigger, healthier house than before.”

Ahmad plans to share his success with his community as well.

"Currently, I have an agreement with one of the local organizations to teach sewing and tailoring to women, and I am happy to support anyone who needs help in sewing,” Ahmad continues. “I am very grateful to Humanity & Inclusion for supporting persons with disabilities.”

Born with Down syndrome, Jawad has difficulty communicating and learning new skills. Humanity & Inclusion is helping him overcome these challenges with learning-based home visits.

Jawad, 5, lives in Amman, Jordan, with his mother. He was born with a developmental disability and experiences difficulties with social interactions, general communication and pre-academic skills such as identifying shapes and colors or following instructions.

To help him develop these skills, Humanity & Inclusion uses a technique known as “portage,” a home-based intervention that targets children with disabilities and developmental delays and teaches caregivers to better assist their children. Humanity & Inclusion also provided Jawad with a pair of glasses to improve his vision.

“Each week we come to Jawad’s home to perform activities that help him develop pre-academic skills,” explains Shaima Anabtawi, Humanity & Inclusion’s Inclusive Livelihood Technical Officer in Jordan. “After an assessment, we create an individual plan based on his needs and we set short-term goals accordingly. Within the first month, the goal is for him to recognize geometric shapes, and respond appropriately to basic requests such as ‘close the door’ or ‘bring the glass.’”

Jawad’s mother plays in integral role in the activities so that she can learn how to incorporate developmental activities into their daily routine and continue his progress between sessions. Humanity & Inclusion’s trained partners help her develop an Individual Family Service Action Plan with activities adapted to Jawad’s goals, the family’s daily life, and their available resources.

Jawad has participated in weekly portage visits for more than five months and has shown significant improvement. He can now identify basic shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles. He can recognize sizes and colors, and he performs many social interactive behaviors, including initiating interactions with others. He continues to show progress each week.

These actions are supported by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

Judy, 8, lives with leg paralysis and has difficulty with certain movements. For weeks, she has been attending rehabilitation sessions with Humanity & Inclusion to improve her mobility and gain more independence.

Judy lives in Amman, Jordan, with her mother and her sister. When she was younger, a bacterial infection eventually caused her to lose mobility in her legs and develop a disability that affects her movement.

“She has a neurological condition called hydrocephalus and weakness in her lower limbs, so she uses a wheelchair to get around,” explains Suhad Abood, Humanity & Inclusion’s community-based rehabilitation manager. “She was unable to sit up on her own and has difficulty grasping objects. Now, Judy participates in rehabilitation sessions, physical therapy sessions and occupational therapy sessions to help improve her movement and become more independent.”

After initially seeking rehabilitation services at a nearby hospital, Judy’s mother learned of the new Primary Health Center, which opened in Amman in March 2022. The first of its kind, the center serves around 600 people per day and is easier for many members of the community to access since the hospital is often crowded. At the center, Humanity & Inclusion provides rehabilitation services such as physical and occupational therapy, and services that support people with cerebral palsy, survivors of strokes and individuals with mobility challenges.

Judy has been visiting the center once a week for seven weeks and has already begun to see changes. Her mother says that Judy’s hand movements have improved to where she can now catch objects, and she is able to sit up without requiring support.

During a recent visit to the center, Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation specialists learned that Judy had never attended school.

“She is 8 years old, which is two years late for starting school,” Abood explains. “We contacted the Amman directorate to approve her registration, and now she will officially be enrolled in school next semester.”

These actions are funded by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

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When he was 18, Hashim Mohamed Barawi was hit by a mortar in Syria. Doctors had to amputate both of his legs. Now living in Jordan, Hashim shares his story:

I used to work as a barber. In September 2012, a series of attacks lasting for a couple of hours occurred in my neighborhood. It was around 5 p.m., and a random mortar hit my shop. This incident was a landmark moment in my life. I had injuries all over my body. For months, I was in shock.

Just after the blast, I was unconscious. I was transferred to the nearest hospital, along with many others who were injured by the bombing. I stayed in the hospital for around 11 days, and when I woke up, the doctors told me they had to amputate both of my legs. I was shocked, and I was really in a lot of pain. Throughout this time, my mother was my pillar of strength and a constant source of support.

Fleeing violence

After I left the hospital, I used a wheelchair at all times. We soon decided to move in with relatives in a safer part of Syria, as the situation in my neighborhood worsened. The situation throughout all of Syria had deteriorated. Getting food and basic items became more and more difficult as prices rose. Ultimately, we decided to flee the country in April 2014, to travel to Jordan. We experienced several obstacles along the way, including unmarked borders and rough roadways.

Walking again

After arriving in Jordan, I read about Humanity & Inclusion’s efforts to provide people with prosthetic limbs, and I contacted them. With the help of Humanity & Inclusion’s team, I completed rehabilitation sessions and followed a program. They provided me with artificial limbs, a mobility chair, crutches, and a bed to facilitate movement throughout the process.

The artificial limbs really changed my life. It was a bit challenging at first, and I had to fight through it. I used a wheelchair for almost a year before receiving my first artificial legs; learning how to walk with them and climb stairs was particularly difficult. I faced these difficulties for almost a year and a half. I exercised hard to maintain balance by walking with two crutches at first, then only one, until I was confident enough to walk without crutches. Eventually, I was able to stand on my own for the first time in two years!

Building a new life

In 2021, I secured a job in a plastics plant with support from Humanity & Inclusion’s livelihood team. It was another turning point in my life. I felt like things were falling back into place. Now, my family is enjoying stability and bonding. We are settling into our new surroundings and have formed friendships. Today, I am thinking about traveling abroad again to start a new, brighter chapter.

I miss my previous life in Syria, my friends, my evenings out, and my favorite places, but now I store all these memories in my mind and heart. There is no hope of returning to Syria. The circumstances will not allow it, and the situation has not changed.

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Mohamad is one of thousands of Syrian bombing victims. Paralyzed from the waist down after an explosion in 2012, he has learned to live again, with help from Humanity & Inclusion.  

Mohamad was returning home after work down a crowded street when an explosion suddenly ripped through the air. This is his story, in his own words:

I woke up four or five hours later in a field hospital. The first words I heard from the doctors were: “He has a one-in-a-hundred chance of survival.”

I had surgery, thank God. I lay on my back for six months before I came to Jordan for essential medical care. 

My hip broke as I was being treated and I developed pelvic calcification. My health was very bad at the time. I was very depressed as well. 

I’ve had rehabilitation care and I was given a medical device, a bed, a wheelchair, a walking frame, casts, and a special chair for the bathroom. They’re a big help. But it’s hard to find yourself in a wheelchair overnight. I had problems accepting my new condition. But I've come to terms with it now.

Life was different before my injury. It was great. I worked in the stone-dressing business. I used to go out with my friends. I enjoyed swimming. I also liked riding my motorbike.

I felt I had to work hard to overcome my handicap. I followed a training course in crafts–assembling accessories, creating perfumes, and making candles–and then became a trainer myself. We recently organized an exhibition at the Arabela shopping center in Irbid. We also visited several bazaars. It was a great experience.

Humanity & Inclusion and the Syria crisis

Since the organization began its response to the Syria crisis in 2012, Humanity & Inclusion has helped 1.8 million Syrians in six countries through emergency rehabilitation, psychological support, and supplying prosthetics and other assistive devices. As of December 2020, Humanity & Inclusion provided 14,000 prosthetics or orthotics to Syrians and conducted rehabilitation sessions with 180,000 people. Learn more about our work and the Syria crisis.

Header image: A man named Mohamad sits in his wheelchair in front of his home in Jordan. He is a Syrian refugee. Copyright: Said Khlaifat/HI

Inline image: Mohamad crafts in his home in Irbid, Jordan. Copyright: Said Khlaifat/HI

Malik was 13 when his home in Syria was bombed. From his leg amputation to rehabilitation, his road to recovery in Jordan with Humanity & Inclusion has been long. 

Malik is one of many victims of bombing during the conflict in Syria. This is his story, in his words: 

I’m 20. I came to Jordan from Syria seven years ago. I was injured in an air attack when I was 13. 

We were at home, celebrating a family marriage. When the house was bombed, I was with my father. He and my uncle were also injured, but not seriously. Mine was worse because I was in the room where the bomb hit. There was thick smoke. I couldn't see a thing. My mother opened the doors and windows so we could breathe. I really thought I was going to die. 

I passed out when I got to hospital. When I woke up the next morning, we were in an ambulance at the border on the way to another hospital in Jordan. 

They amputated my leg straightaway, but I had no idea I’d lost it for the first fortnight. I was in shock and alone in hospital. It was really hard without my family. It was a few months before my mother could join me. 

I was depressed and, for the first three years, I was in a bad state psychologically. I had injuries all over my body, which needed care, and I got the treatment I needed to move different parts of my body.

I was fitted with my first prosthesis in 2014. When I saw I could walk again, I felt blessed! I was going to be able to move, work and study again! I spent a year in rehabilitation with Humanity & Inclusion, learning to walk. 

I went back to school in 2015 but stopped shortly afterwards because I found it hard to accept my disability. I mostly stayed home. I was really depressed and shy. It took me years to get over it. Around 2017, I began to make new friends. I hated it when people saw me as someone with a disability. 

I've overcome my anxiety and nervousness now. I can move around, study and work. 

I’m now a voluntary worker at Humanity & Inclusion, which also helps improve my English because I left school early. I help identify people with disabilities, who may need rehabilitation services or specific support, and their medical needs, and give them information on other accessible local services.  

I’ve got quite a busy afterwork routine. I see friends and at night I produce content for my YouTube channel. I make funny clips out of existing videos. I also play online with friends.

My dream is to study art and drama.

Image: A young man named Malik sits in a chair at his home in Jordan. He is a Syrian refugee.

Salam was injured by a cluster munition in Syria in 2015. Booby traps, improvised landmines and explosive remnants heavily contaminate Syria. Children are particularly exposed.

One day in October 2015, 5-year-old Salam was in the field with her family picking ripe olives when she noticed a strange piece of metal on the ground. She thought she might be able to use it to carve pictures on rocks. It was a bomb.

The cluster munition had been thrown from an aircraft during the Syria conflict and, by design, had not exploded on impact but would when touched. It was the kind of bomblet that tends to explode diagonally.

The explosion killed Salam’s little brother, who was carrying water back from the well, instantly. Salam, her parent, and four other siblings were also injured. 

The Red Cross rushed Salam to a medical facility in Jordan for emergency surgery. Her left leg and a toe on her right foot were amputated.

A long path to recovery 

Salam was first assessed by Humanity & Inclusion in 2015 in the Za’atri refugee camp in Jordan, near the Syrian border. Separated from her parents in Syria, the young girl spent months alone until relatives living in Jordan were found. 

After surgery, Salam worked closely with a Humanity & Inclusion physical therapist and a psychosocial support worker. To strengthen her injured right leg, Salam began to walk with the help of a frame. Then, she learned to walk with an artificial limb. Five years later, Salam’s prosthetic leg is routinely replaced as she continues to grow.

Salam experienced significant psychological trauma, becoming extremely timid and self-conscious after the blast. She refused to play with other children. Through occupational therapy and psychosocial support, Humanity & Inclusion helped Salam rebuild her confidence and encouraged her to interact with others.

Her new life in Jordan

Salam’s Jordanian relatives welcomed her and continue to take care of her. She now lives in Irbid with an extended family of 10 adopted brothers and sisters. She attends school, where she works hard and is frequently top of her class. She loves drawing princesses. Her adoptive father is grateful for Humanity & Inclusion’s support.

“We used to carry her to school before receiving the prosthetic leg and now she can easily walk to go to school,” he says. He has also seen a big difference in Salam’s confidence and happiness when playing with friends.

Salam dreams of becoming a doctor when she grows up and says she would love to make artificial limbs for other children.

Back in Syria 

Too traumatized by what happened, Salam does not want to return to Syria, even to reunite with her parents and siblings. Her birth family believes she has better access to treatment and education in Jordan.

March 15 marks 10 years in conflict in Syria. Over the last decade, explosive weapons have been massively used in populated areas contaminating land across the country. Major cities like Raqqa, Aleppo and Homs have been destroyed by large-scale and intense bombing. Many of these weapons leave dangerous remnants or fail to explode on impact, remaining dangerous years after combat. 

Today, 11.5 million people in Syria live in areas contaminated by explosive hazards.

Between 2011 and 2018 there were 79,206 recorded casualties from explosive weapons, 87% of which were civilians. While all population groups are at risk, children - especially boys, agricultural workers and people on the move are particularly vulnerable to being injured or killed by an anti-personnel landmine or explosive remnant of war.

Humanity & Inclusion and the Syria crisis

Since the organization began its response to the Syria crisis in 2012, Humanity & Inclusion has helped 1.8 million Syrians in six countries through emergency rehabilitation, psychological support, and supplying prosthetics and other assistive devices. As of December 2020, Humanity & Inclusion provided 14,000 prosthetics or orthotics to Syrians and conducted rehabilitation sessions with 180,000 people. Learn more about our work and the Syria crisis.

Header image: A young girl named Salam smiles at her home in Jordan. Her leg is amputated. She is a Syrian refugee.

Inline image: Salam sits on a table while a physical therapist fits her with a new prosthetic leg at a rehabilitation center in Jordan.

Abd Alnor’s mother was shaken when he had his first seizure at age two. She rushed him to the hospital where doctors diagnosed him with epilepsy and developmental disabilities.

At age four, Abd Alnor started to stand upright. His mother took him regularly to rehabilitation sessions. That is, until they had to flee Syria in 2013.

The now 11-year-old continues to have difficulty with daily activities, especially fine motor activities such as dressing and moving his hands. After settling in a refugee camp in Jordan, his mother struggled to find affordable rehabilitation services for her son. He didn’t receive treatment for a long period of time and his mother was very concerned about her son’s isolation. “He doesn’t want to interact with other children and can't play with others,” she says.

Then, Abd Alnor and his mother were introduced to Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation team. 

Finding accessible services  

The family lives in a rented basement with Abd Alnor’s three brothers and sisters near the Irbid refugee camp. They use a wheelchair to go outside with Abd Alnor.

During their rounds, Humanity & Inclusion’s community-based volunteers met the family and informed them about the accessible services at Basma Hospital, Humanity & Inclusion’s partner hospital in Irbid city. With our support, Abd Alnor resumed his therapy.

It has been a great change for this family as many refugee families often face serious difficulties to access health services.

Regular physical therapy

Physical therapy aims to increase power of the trunk muscles in order to be more independent from sitting to standing. The occupational therapist has helped him to become more independent in daily activities such as bathing and dressing.

The psychosocial worker is helping Abd Alnor interact with people around him and to be able to play with toys. “Abd Alnor now interacts more with others and tries to play with children,” his mother continues. “He doesn’t feel isolated and isn’t ashamed. The effect of psychosocial therapy is like magic.”

Visible progress

Abd Alnor is beginning to improve his movement, especially in the transfer from sitting on the floor to standing. Dressing and grooming continue to be difficult for him.

He now tries to hold the laces of his shoes by himself. He also enjoys playing with the sand in the center with the occupational therapist. He likes building castles in the mud. His mother adds: "I’d like to see my son do it all by himself."

Having an amputation was the hardest decision 48-year-old Fadi had to make. In 2016, he was diagnosed with skin cancer on the right ankle and in order for him to survive, he had to have the life-changing surgery. 

"At the beginning, I was shocked when the doctors told me that they had to amputate my leg,” he says. “I asked them if there was no better solution.” Fadi’s main concern with having his leg amputated was how he would financially support his family.

“After surgery, I was discouraged and downhearted. But, thanks to the support of my relatives, I started to feel better."

Deeply impoverished after fleeing the Syrian conflict, Fadi, his wife, and five children rent an apartment in a two-floor building in Rusaifa, Zarga Governorate in Jordan.

Rehabilitation support from Humanity & Inclusion

Every working day, Humanity & Inclusion’s mobile teams visits Zarqa to help identify people in need of rehabilitation and psychological support. During one of their visits, they met Fadi. It was just days after his surgery.  

Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation team provided him with mobility equipment and physical therapy sessions so he could gain strength for a prosthesis. A few months later, he was fit with a below-knee silicone prosthesis. He received financial support for transportation from his home to the rehabilitation center. Otherwise, accessing this vital health care would have been nearly impossible for the father.

Gaining independence

"Humanity & Inclusion’s team always supports me when I need help with my prosthesis. Before, I always had to ask someone else to go out and get things for me. From now on, I can walk around and use public transportation without assistance.” Today, Fadi can go grocery shopping, to the mosque, and to the hospital for medical check-ups, all on his own.

Hope for a better future

He is now looking for a job. "I wish to find a new job to secure an income for my family,” he adds. "I want to support my children to carry on their education to give them a better future."