Humanitarian

His black duffle bag is full to the brim. He drags it along the floor and straps the drawstring on his shoulder with two consecutive moves. Today’s journey has begun.

Tarek, 12, is leaving his house to embark on a tour around one of the villages in Mount Lebanon. Inside his bag, there are clothes, linen and socks. For the next five hours, he will try to market as much as he can. He is a child on a mission.

There is something missing in the few yards Samer* will travel to join his friends in the nearby tent today. The encouraging voice of his brother will no more be there to cheer him up. Bilal died in a car crash last night.

From one side of the world to the other, letters travelled. The senders have never met the receivers, but they certainly have a lot to speak about.

The joy of reading is extended, and is visible on the eager faces of children. Eyes widen with every turn of a page. Concentration becomes more intense.

A school shelled, a house destroyed and a dream shattered. A childhood thrown into the anarchy of conflict and the future of a whole generation is taking a dangerous, unforeseeable twist.