{http://soundcloud.com/soundslikerstin/politics-a-waste-of-time}

"Politics? A Waste Of Time" That is Sama Wareh's sobering conclusion after watching the war in Syria. The 30 year old artist and humanitarian was born and raised in California, her parents came to the United States of America from Syria. Before the war they used to visit relatives and friends in Damascus regularly. What happens in Syria affected Sama so deeply that she decided to take matters into her own hands and bring help and hope to refugees.

The first time she traveled to the Syrian-Turkish border with donations and savings in her backpack and two suitcases filled with medication. Sama provided heaters, blankets and rent payments to people in desperate need. Life changing encounters made her go back. She was especially haunted by kids' drawings from the war. She knew: she would be able to use her strengths to create more sustainable help. Sama is an art and environmental teacher in Silverado Canyon south of Los Angeles. She developed an art curriculum for kids from war zones, found a school principle in Lebanon sharing her values, started fundraising again and came back to the border.

At Tuyoor Al Amal school she started an art project. The name means 'Birds of Hope' in English. Principle and teachers aim to create an environment that can serve as role model for Syria's future. Sama asked the kids to draw their dreams and hopes. They came back with pictures from flowers, hearts and symbols of professions they wanted to choose after graduating. Each morning they also handed the teacher letters and very different drawings: bombs falling on cities, bleeding trees and roaring monsters.

To create a sense of teamwork and connection students, teachers, principal and Sama created a colorful mural of hope at the school. Tears in her eyes she asked the students before leaving to keep working together, looking out for each other, solving conflicts talking not fighting. She says: there is nothing more fulfilling than looking into somebody's eyes whose life has just changed for the better just because yoiu showed up.

Thanks to funding she is able to pay an art teacher who continues her work.

[story for DLF German Radio]

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