Turkish volunteers put smiles on orphans’ faces in Syria

The Human Movie Team, a social media movement in cooperation with humanitarian groups, has been carrying out the project named “Braids for hair and brotherhood for hearts” in different parts of Syria since 2018.

Combing, cutting, and braiding, Turkish volunteers have been cheering up nearly 3,500 girls — mostly orphans — in war-torn Syria, doing their hair under a humanitarian project for several years.

The Human Movie Team, a social media movement in cooperation with humanitarian groups, has been carrying out the project named “Braids for hair and brotherhood for hearts” in different parts of Syria since 2018.

Thanks to the project, the children, many of whom have never had anyone to comb their hair, are reminded of what it is to be a child and cared for.

Almost 2,000 girls living in refugee camps in northern Azaz were first included of the project in 2018-2019, with cooperation from the Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) and the For Children group.

In cooperation with two humanitarian, volunteers brought smiles to the lips of nearly 300 more girls living in refugee camps in the northern Jarabulus district in 2020 by braiding their hair.

A total of 22 Turkish volunteers cleaned and braided the hair of 1,000 orphan girls living in northern Idlib province this year, too.

Volunteers from different parts of Türkiye participated in a two-day event that ended on Friday with the support of the Orphan Foundation.

After their hair was braided and adorned with colorful pins, the girls were given gifts such as clothes, stationery, and toys.

‘LOVE AND CARE IS HUMANITARIAN AID’

“By displaying their before and after photos, we’re trying to tell the world how good these children feel, how beautiful they look, and how their hopes swell when they get cared for with this project,” said project coordinator Tülay Gökçimen.