“I need to go to the fitness classes in order to have a place where I can really open up my heart and let go.” This is the feedback we often receive from the women.
Previously Shireen* was isolated and lonely in her house and wouldn’t go out much. Through fitness she has found more purpose in life and has become confident and content in all she does.
“Before coming to fitness I was hopeless but after coming here I received great hope,” Rosa said.
In January and February 2020, before Covid-19 came along and all of Operation Mercy’s programming in the refugee camps was shut down to prevent the spread of the virus,
As Hala has improved physically, so has her and her family’s emotional state. She is almost able go back to school again!
We added to the encouragement that her loving father and supportive mother were giving her, to try to give her hope to move forward.
Eventually several relatives visited and noticed that Mustafa had greatly improved. They wanted to pass out sweets to their friends and neighbors to celebrate.
“How can the wounds of our hearts be healed?”
“Playing Frisbee and participating in the focused discussions has helped me to live a healthy life. I have lost so much weight because of exercising and eating healthily.
“The most beautiful thing is the big smile on his face.”
One person whose life has been changed through this project is Neff*.
“It was my dream to be able to stand up on my own feet,” she said. “And now, my dream has come true thanks to Operation Mercy.”
After one of our fitness classes, we sat down with the participants and invited them to share something they like about fitness, or something that has been difficult for them.
Rosa attributes some of the changes in her life to participating in the Shine course.
Many of the beneficiaries of our Shine classes have shared how they have grown in character and self-confidence as a result of the program.
Bringing hope, delight and helping build relationships and grow community amoungst the vulnerable.
The wheelchair has not only contributed to Amir’s improvement physically, but emotionally and psychologically as well.
“Together with my relative, I joined the class and I have benefited from it a lot. I feel better emotionally and everyone at home is happier with me!
“Going to class is so wonderful… I used to cry all day and night because I felt purposeless at home. Now I can wear anything and I feel so much better.”
The way an infant is swaddled can either prevent or worsen hip dysplasia in children so this intervention is vital for future well-being of these babies.
During the distribution, it was evident that many people have been out of work while some also reported being in debt primarily due to COVID-19 restrictions.