“I believe that in helping others, I am doing what God wants me to do.”
WAEL’S STORY
Wael is Programme Manager at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) - an Embrace partner based in Damascus, Syria.
Syria is a broken and wounded country. 14 years of war (2011-2024) has had a devastating impact on communities. People are struggling to process trauma, the loss of loved ones - some killed in conflict and others who have fled, and to rebuild their lives when so many homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed. In addition, the economic and political situation in Syria remains strained with everyday essentials, education and healthcare now completely unaffordable for the vast majority of the population.
Despite the immensely challenging conditions in which he lives and works, Wael maintains a positive and friendly disposition as you can see from the image above. We asked Wael how he stays motivated, his response is an inspirational reminder for us all:
“All of us has his own way of faith. Faith gives hope. It has to start from you, it has to come from inside. Without hope, you can’t live.”
This unwavering faith and tenacious clinging to hope is something we see from every one of our partners - it is both humbling and a crucial example to follow.
Wael is a trained pharmacist, and MECC help with dispensing affordable medications wherever they can, but his days can be filled with difficult conversations, especially when he sees patients who have received a diagnosis of chronic illness.
“Many are facing deterioration in health due to the economic situation. Most beneficiaries are below the poverty line. They look to the NGOs for support. People are left having to make a choice: purchase food and meet your basic needs or pay for medical support. When the diagnosis is something chronic, like cancer for example, do you sell everything you have to get the treatment? It will cost your life savings and may not make a difference. When people come to me for their medicines and tell me their stories, it breaks me. It reminds me why I stay and why I do what I do.”
One project currently providing a great source of hope for Wael is the training programme for Community Health Peer Educators, funded by Embrace. Local women are being trained in preventative healthcare, able to offer consultations in their communities to offer support with blood pressure monitoring, spotting early signs of cancer, diabetes or malnutrition, and able to advise on matters relating to nutrition and hygiene, as well as mental health.
Since the beginning of this year, 60 women have completed the training. Of these 60 participants, 20 are women from the Deaf community - the training has been fully inclusive and accessible for them and now they are able to share their healthcare expertise within their community - making healthcare advise more accessible for Deaf people locally. So far the new team of Community Health Peer Educators have visited over 160 households in Damascus and the surrounding rural areas, with further visits planned. Already the incredibly positive ripple effect of this project is evident, opening access to healthcare advise for local marginalised communities and empowering people to take control of their health and wellbeing.
We look forward to hearing more from Wael on the continued success of this project and all the other work of MECC. For now, some closing words of thanks from Wael:
“It is the words of appreciation from people that helps me to know that we are making a difference. Sometimes people will stop me in the street and say “You stand by us. You were with us during our hardest times and you did not leave us. Thank you.” This is our vision here at MECC – for everyone to live with dignity. From the heart, I want to say thank you, we are so grateful for your support. We made a huge impact including women from the Deaf community in the health awareness sessions. That was because of you. Thank you Embrace for believing in us to do this work.”
