Layla’s Story

 In a quiet corner of northern Lebanon, a thirteen-year-old girl named Layla is adjusting to her new life after relocating with 36 children and 10 caregivers to SOS Children’s Village Kfarhay, located in the safe areas of Lebanon, due to the escalating war in the country. Despite the challenges, Layla’s spirit shines through as she shares her reflections on this new chapter.

SOS Children’s Village Lebanon is providing today a space where caregivers and children could focus on school preparations and activities, away from the immediate threat of conflict that is happening in Lebanon for the past year, causing an unstable environment for numerous families across the country.

In the last three weeks, this situation has intensified, with new regions experiencing airstrikes and bombings, particularly in southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut and the Beqaa Valley, where Layla’s former SOS Children’s Village is located.

“Everything feels different”

It has been two months since Layla left SOS Children’s Village Ksarnaba. “We are safe here, but everything feels different” Layla states. “I miss my school and my friends a lot. I miss my room, my bed, and some of my favorite clothes that I couldn’t bring with me.” Yet, amidst these changes, remains a reality that brings her comfort: the bond with her family. “We wake up to have a normal breakfast with Mama and my siblings. Mama doesn’t prepare everything alone; I like to help her.”

Layla continues finding relief in her daily rituals. She fixes her own bed each morning and immerse herself in English stories. “I would like to become an English teacher when I grow up,” she dreams. Every night, Layla comforts her younger sisters in reading bedtime stories, while trying to keep her voice louder than the echoes of distant airstrikes.

“I know many displaced families have nothing. We are lucky to be with SOS”

During the day, Layla and her siblings spend time together. Under their warm roof, she often pretends to be a school teacher as she revises the English alphabet with her brother and sisters. “When we hear the sounds of warplanes, I am not afraid”. Layla reassures her younger siblings, who struggle to understand the difference between a sound barrier and actual bombing. “I tell them it’s just a sound, and that we are safe,” she explains, even though the loud noise still makes her shiver a bit.

Despite the fear that remains, Layla remains hopeful. “I want this war to end and to come back safe to my beloved village, my bed, and my old school.” She expresses gratitude for the roof over her head, the warm home, the food on her table, and the clothes she has. “I know many displaced families have nothing. We are lucky to be with SOS”. She adds: “If I could tell the children who left their homes anything, I would say, ‘May God protect you and help you.’”

As Layla recalls warm memories of her time in SOS Children’s Village Ksarnaba, she shares, “The first thing I want to do with my family when the war ends is to have a BBQ!” The staff at SOS Children’s Village Kfarhay have organized discussions and activities to keep the children engaged and comforted, helping them understand the situation while preparing them for their new schools. “SOS is doing what they can to make us feel good. I’m grateful for this, and I don’t want to return until the war is over”,

{Name changed for privacy}

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