February’s was a complex, tiring, but deeply meaningful mission. Accompanying Arianna Martini on this long journey were Dr. Marino Andolina and Valentino Caridi, the young photographer.

This time, to reach Syria, we crossed Lebanon-a new route that proved to be safer for entry permits. After a long overland journey, we were welcomed by Bakri and the entire local team.

His family’s hospitality always leaves us very impressed: their warmth always compensates for the bitter cold of the changing climate and territories.

In Syria, we spent eight intense days, visiting our projects and checking out the situation on the ground. The AMAN Center is now in the final stages of training: the 15 female engineers are finalizing their community impact projects, projects that will involve individual funding on behalf of private donors and that we hope will all be funded.

For the first time, some of them will be able to implement their ideas not only in the refugee camps but also in their home villages, a sign of a slow but significant return to normalcy.

The clinic is operating at full capacity with two physicians, a nurse, a midwife, a self-medicine and now also the telemedicine service, implemented thanks to the training of Dr. Marino Andolina. This new tool will allow continuous medical consultation, with international specialists ready to remotely support local health personnel.

We then started a delicate surgical operation on a little girl with hydrocephalus, covering the costs for the insertion of a drainage cannula. This was an urgently needed surgery, and we are grateful that we were able to offer her this opportunity.

Through our Help Point, we have distributed milk and specific foods to more than 600 children with medical conditions and from very poor families.

Despite fatigue and some unforeseen health setbacks in the team, we also decided to explore other areas of Syria, to experience firsthand the reality of a country still deeply scarred by conflict. We went to Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs and Damascus.

We met people who, despite everything, are trying to rebuild their future with great determination. The visit to the infamous Saydnaya prison was a very tough experience that left us speechless for days.

The last stop was the refugee camp in Turkey. Although it was shorter than planned, we verified that the situation is stable: families are still there, few have attempted to return to Syria because there is nothing to return to. Dr. Andolina visited our children for a whole day!

The camp remains a staple for many people, and we will continue to provide support.

Thanks to our small local team, distance support vouchers have already been distributed, and food parcels and milk will be distributed in the coming days.

This mission has challenged us, but it has strengthened our commitment. We are here, we stand by their side.