"Even after all the hardship, I've learned to savor the simple joys, like the taste of banana-vanilla ice cream, knowing that hope and resilience can sweeten life again."
My name is Muhammad Qutaiba Al-Basha. I was born in Syria on 1/6/1998. I am the youngest of a large family of 13. We lived very happily and harmoniously, cultivating the land and felt completely secure until the war began in 2011. We didn't want to leave our home, but one day a bomb struck, injuring my knee with shrapnel. Doctors saved my leg, but the pain lingers to this day.
On November 15, 2016, our family made the decision to leave the conflict zone, and we moved to Cyprus. It was a very arduous journey both physically and emotionally, marking the first time I had ever left my homeland.