The Seventy-two-year-old Amani has experienced many hardships as a widow who was displaced with her thirteen family members -six of them are children- from northern Gaza to the safe areas of Mawasi Khan Yunis.

Her life has never been easy, burdened with countless struggles. She has faced the horrors and hardships of war multiple times, finding herself displaced due to the recent war in Gaza, forcing her to move from the north to the south. Additionally, she suffers from health issues for which she has been unable to receive treatment due to her difficult economic circumstances.

Despite these challenges, Amani was determined to improve her mental and social well-being, refusing to collapse because of life’s difficulties. She committed to attending group counseling sessions provided by SOS Children’s Villages’ project at the displacement camp where she resides. Through these sessions, she acquired new self-care skills and techniques.

Amani soon realized the importance of participating in discussions and engaging in dialogue with the group. This helped her develop better self-control and emotional resilience. With the continuous encouragement and support of the project’s psychologist, these sessions became a safe space for her, positively impacting her psychological and social well-being.

One of the sessions that deeply affected Amani was "Psychological First Aid", as it resonated deeply with her personal experiences. It reinforced her sense of positivity and made her feel capable of positively influencing those around her.

In addition to psychological support, the project also provided her with cash assistance, which she used to meet her daily needs and purchase essential medication for her health condition. This significantly helped ease her financial burdens.

Amani shares:
"I am very happy. I never expected to benefit from these sessions. I used to think I was unlucky, but thank God."

Today, Amani is more engaged with those around her and plays a supportive role within her family. These sessions and the assistance she received have been a turning point in her life, strengthening her sense of resilience, stability, and emotional well-being.