AFTER THE WAR: RETURN, LOSS, AND RENEWED HOPE SAEED’S STORY
In the rolling hills of northwestern Syria, where the scars of war still mark every street and wall, a Syrian father, Saeed Jumaa, is trying to rebuild his life — not in the village where he was born, but in the place that offered him and his family a chance to survive.
Saeed is one of millions of Syrians displaced by the long and devastating conflict that began in 2011. Originally from the eastern countryside of Maarat Al Numan, he fled his home years ago when fighting consumed his village. Today, he lives in Kafr Takharim, a small town in Idlib Governorate that has become a fragile refuge for thousands of displaced families like his.
When the political transition in Syria took place in late December 2024, Saeed saw a glimmer of hope. “For the first time in years, I thought maybe it was time to go back,” he recalls. Early this year, he made the long-awaited journey to his hometown — only to find silence, rubble, and memories of what once was.
The houses were still in ruins. There was no electricity, no clean water, no school, and not even a small clinic. It broke my heart.”
The absence of health services was what hurt him the most. Saeed’s newborn daughter, Rayan, had recently been diagnosed with respiratory complications and recurring infections. “She needs regular checkups and medicine,” he explains. “But in my village, even a simple fever can become life-threatening.”
So Saeed made the difficult choice to stay in Kafr Takharim, where DDD (Doctors of the World), with the support of the Tzu Chi Foundation, had recently opened a primary health care center. The facility provides free consultations, medicines, and maternal and child health services to residents and displaced families affected by fourteen years of war and poverty.
It’s the only place I can take my daughter without worrying about the cost. The doctors follow her condition closely and provide her with necessary treatment.
The new clinic has quickly become a lifeline for many families in Kafr Takharim and nearby villages, where medical infrastructure remains shattered.
As he holds 3-month-old Rayan in his arms, Saeed expresses his gratitude to those who made this care possible. “I thank the Tzu Chi Foundation and DDD for standing with us,” he says. “They are helping us heal, one step at a time, in a place where hope is slowly coming back.”
In a land still rebuilding from the ashes, Saeed’s story is one of quiet resilience. His story strikingly reminds us that recovery begins not only with the end of war, but with the simple act of caring for those left behind.
