Hama in west-central Syria is among the areas most affected by displacement, where host communities and returnees face daily challenges affecting their mental health and social well-being. With ongoing violence and instability, protection risks for children—such as child labor, school dropouts and the lack of psychosocial support—have increased.
To address this gap, International Medical Corps in Hama provides a wide range of services, including medical care, health education, and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services through the Family Center in the city district. These services include prevention through awareness sessions for community members, parents and caregivers on child protection (CP)-related topics, such as CP case management, CP programs and early childhood development (ECD) activities, all of which contribute to strengthening resilience and ensuring a safer environment for families.
Raneem, a 32-year-old married woman from Hama, is a mother of three, with her eldest child being 12 and the youngest only 4 months old. She lives with her husband and children at her in-laws’ home—a large family comprising 25 members.
Despite her family’s stable financial situation and the availability of basic needs for herself and her children, the lack of personal space for Raneem and her immediate family created challenges in raising her kids. Family members often intervened in her parenting decisions and methods. Over time, Raneem began to feel that she was failing in her role as a mother and wife, experiencing significant psychological and social distress.
Raneem first learned about our services at the Hama Family Center through an awareness session on CP topics for community members. After the awareness session, Raneem visited the Family Center to find out more about parenting-support sessions for pregnant women, but due to some health risks in the final month of her pregnancy, she couldn’t attend those sessions. However, her eagerness to receive specialised support as a young mother led her to return to the centre shortly after giving birth. She wanted to understand how to care for her children and newborn baby amid all the societal pressure. Our team at the Family Center enrolled her in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) program
I wasn’t satisfied with how I treated my children, and it didn’t feel right. Today, I feel the difference. My husband and family also noticed the improvement and encouraged me to keep visiting the Family Center.
Raneem
During the ECD sessions, Raneem actively shared her challenges with the group, particularly the difficulties of caring for her baby in a joint-family setup. She also described the emotional toll she experienced, alternating between anger and guilt about how she treated her children. “I started shouting at them, and sometimes also hit them, which led them to become shy, and they lost self-confidence,” she says. Her husband often expressed frustration over what he perceived as mood swings and heightened irritability. Following this, our team invited her elder children too to the Family Center and enrolled them in the Child Resilience program.
Despite her family’s pressure and the physical distance from her home to the Center, Raneem was determined to attend the ECD program regularly, and she ensured that her children continued to participate in the Child Resilience program. She even encouraged other relatives to join and benefit from the various protection services we offer, which are specifically designed to assist and support those most in need.
The ECD program’s objectives and structured activities helped Raneem to apply practical strategies that support her children’s development and strengthen her relationships with both herself and her husband. We also referred her to an MHPSS case manager for additional individual support.
Today, Raneem is a different woman. She has become more aware and resilient, capable of adapting to everyday pressures. Through the support of the ECD program, she developed skills in expressing her emotions, identifying her challenges and achievements, and confidently implementing practical parenting methods, especially those related to self-care and stress relief, which positively changed her relationship with her children. Her children, too, have shown progress. The Child Resilience program has helped them focus on developing coping skills, identifying and strengthening resilience, and recognising and managing emotions. This integrated and comprehensive approach led to improvements and positive changes in Raneem’s family—her older children showed greater confidence in themselves and in integrating with others.
Most importantly, Raneem now believes that nothing is too late or impossible to change. “I wasn’t satisfied with how I treated my children, and it didn’t feel right,” she adds. “Today, I feel the difference. My husband and family also noticed the improvement and encouraged me to keep visiting the Family Center.”
Raneem is one of many Syrian women facing personal, parenting and family issues that affect children. We are dedicated to supporting these women, their children and families, and communities at large to help them rebuild their lives. We do this by providing health, nutrition, MHPSS and protection services to the most affected populations across Syria.