First Lady: Orphaned Children Top Priority in Syria

DAMASCUS, (ST)- “From the very beginning, orphaned children have been a top priority in Syria,” First Lady Mrs. Asmaa Al-Assad stressed on Saturday during her surprise visit to orphaned children attending an entertainment event held at the Tishreen Sport City in Damascus, according to the facebook page of the Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic.

“War never affected our caring for them or our following up of their affairs on every occasion. If the world celebrates orphans in a week, here, in Syria, Orphans are the focus of attention on all days,” Mrs. Asmaa said, pointing out that orphaned children don’t need a festivity, but care and active following up of their life details and successes.  

Marking World Orphan Week and under the patronage of First Lady Asmaa Al-Assad, the “Lamset Shifa” (Touch of Healing) Association and the”Big Idea” for Events and Advertising company on Sunday organized an entertainment event for orphaned children at the Tishreen Sport City in Damascus.

The event, which aimed at making children feel happy and at developing their talents, included several entertainment activities among which were a mini circus, acrobatic games, magic tricks and artistic shows.

In a statement to SANA, Minister of Social Affairs Reem al-Qaderi stressed that “caring for children is the basis for the development of societies”.

“The Syrian state in cooperation with the non government organizations is keen on providing suitable care to orphaned children including education as well as physical and psychological health care, because they are the homeland’s bright future,” said al-Qaderi.

Director of “Lamset Shifa” Maha Nweilati said the event is part of the activities held annually by the association on the World Orphan Week.

She added the association will soon organize another event dedicated to the children of the martyrs who sacrificed their souls in defense of their homeland, Syria.

Lama Lutfi, Director of “Big Idea” company stressed that the event aimed to explain to the orphaned children that they are not alone and that there are people who support them and seek compensating them for the loss of their parents’ tenderness. Such activities aimed at developing the orphans’ talents as to help them be effective people in future, Lutfi said.

Hamda Mustafa