Turning fear into safety

By Sandra Awad and Hasan Burhan

Bseimeh village, Syria – “My father and I were cleaning my grandparents’ house when my father saw a strange object on the roof,” recalls fifteen-year-old Mohammed from Bseimeh, a village in Rural Damascus. “He wanted to throw it away, but I shouted and stopped him from touching it.” Empowered with knowledge and skills on explosive remnants of war, which he gained at a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space, Mohammed was proud to have saved his father’s life.

In 2015, like thousands of families across the country, Mohammed, his mother, Moyasar, and his father, Hasan, fled their village due to the conflict, resettling in a nearby town. “I used to hear the bombings in Bseimeh and see smoke rising over my village. It filled me with sadness,” Mohammed says.

After six years of displacement, the family returned in 2021 to find their home completely damaged. “We lost everything, but at least we were finally home,” he reflects. Slowly, they began to rebuild their lives, restoring their house piece by piece.

UNICEF-supported child-friendly space brings meaningful change

In 2022, as displaced families returned to Bseimeh, UNICEF set up a child-friendly space, offering mental health and psychosocial support, along with awareness sessions on explosive remnants of war—an essential subject for children like Mohammed growing up in conflict-affected areas. 

“I went to the centre every day, and I loved it. All the sessions were useful, but the ones on explosive ordnance fascinated me the most. They helped me save my father’s life.” - Mohammed, 15

Moyasar, Mohammed’s mother, also benefited from parenting skills sessions at the centre. Like many mothers in her village, Moyasar was deeply concerned about her son’s safety. “I used to be so afraid that I once locked the door and hid the keys to keep him from going out,” she admits. After participating in the sessions, she was able to build important life skills, including managing her emotions. “Not only did I start trusting my son more, but the parenting sessions gave me tools to communicate with him better,” she commented.

Championing education on explosive ordnance

Mohammed championed education on explosive remnants of war. Not only did he save his father’s life, but also that of his friends. “As I was hiking with my friends, we saw a strange object,” he recalls. “We marked the area with stones and a red T-shirt then went back to the village and informed the local authorities.”

For Mohammed, the learning experience has shaped his future aspirations. “I used to be afraid of explosive ordnance, but now I see it as a challenge that needs collective action,” he says.  His dream is to become an officer specialising in demining. “Explosive remnants of war remain in the land for years, harming people—especially children—and animals. I want to protect them,” he says with determination.

In 2024, UNICEF provided life-saving explosive ordnance risk education to more than 380,000 children and more than 68,000 adults in addition to providing parenting skills sessions to approximately 40,000 caregivers, helping families stay safe in conflict-affected areas