the world became too confining for the children, so they knocked on the door of their dreams for a new image of life to emerge and renew their hopes and strengthen their resolve. When words alluding to relief in times of hardship are uttered, the afflicted dreams of relief and is moved by every word that makes him imagine the coming happiness and joy that will dispel the darkness of sorrow and anguish. Upon entering the home, they try to resume their lives after the events of the end of the world, which has not yet ended, believing it to be a new beginning. They hang their small dreams on the thresholds of this house, but their current reality narrows the realm of their dreams, influenced by it. 

Those I speak of now are the begging children for whom a "new life" was written, or so it was believed, when they entered the Beggars' Home in the Kisweh area in the Damascus countryside. But disappointment crept into their small bodies every time they returned empty handed, hopes dashed, but they did not lose hope.

The health of the children in the Beggars' Home deteriorated after the medical clinic run by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent withdrew for unspecified reasons. This posed a major obstacle to obtaining proper treatment for the children and exacerbated cases of mental, psychological and physical illnesses, because the clinic was responsible for examining them, providing medication and overseeing their mental health.  

What made their suffering worse was that the aid sent to them would somehow "disappear" in a wondrous way. Associations had provided large quantities of clothes suitable for the ages present, most of which were in good condition, but they vanished, leaving the children without winter attire to protect them from the winter's wrath.  

There are 43 children in the home, suffering from scarce food supplies, despite the fact that the home receives support from the Kisweh Charity Association and other associations in the area and surroundings, under the supervision of the Department of Social Affairs and Labour in the Damascus countryside. However, the assistance comes in small quantities – for example, only 30 meals are brought at a time or some foods like cheese, jam and dairy products are sent. Since there are more residents than that, securing minimal amounts of bulgur and bread to feed those for whom no meals were provided is very difficult. There is immense difficulty in securing food for the children.  

The suffering does not stop there. The home lacks proper heating due to the unavailability of diesel or wood stoves. There are electric heaters that contain "one candle" each, hanging on the walls of the rooms. The home relies on an industrial power line, which means electricity is available Sunday through Thursday morning, but from Thursday afternoon to Sunday, there is no electricity and the children are left in the dark without heating.  

The Beggars' Home takes in children of all ages, collecting cases from parks, streets and some whose families abandoned them due to difficult living conditions and inability to bear their material costs.  

Of the 43 children residing in the home, 12 have a medical condition called "mental retardation". They are supervised by the Department of Social Affairs and Labour in the Damascus countryside in cooperation with non-governmental organizations and charities such as the Family Planning Association, Charity Banners and many other associations to support them with food, clothing, health care and vocational workshops to teach the children skills.  

The Beggars’ Home is only responsible for caring for begging children and has nothing to do with treating the medical conditions present. Communication is made with the Ibn Sina Institute to retrieve these cases and provide them with medical care at their center.

Cooperation also takes place with the Department of Social Affairs and Labour in the Damascus countryside. A full medical team is sent on a weekly basis to the home to examine medical cases and treat them, prescribing the necessary medication for each case. In case of emergencies, direct communication is made with the Director of Social Affairs who sends an ambulance to take the patient to the hospital.  

It is worth mentioning that the Beggars Institute “Beggars’ Home” takes in beggars, rehabilitates them and teaches them a new profession.