Partnering to build hope, capacity, and community

Our purpose is to work in partnership with others to restore hope, grow capacity, and promote community through relief and development initiatives that help transform lives, including our own.

Here is an example of how Operation Mercy is heling to restore hope to the mother of 11 year old Alim (not his real name) an Afghan family in Tehran.

Overcoming cycles of rejection
Alim (11) cannot remember his father. He left the family when Alim was born. Alim’s mother works 11 hour days in a tailor shop to make a living, and cannot remember when Alim started to stammer.  They live with his uncle and grandparents but the family doesn’t want Alim in the house any more because he frequently fights with his smaller cousins.  He was excluded from school when he tried to defend his mother being called bad names because of her divorce. So where should he go? 

After a long search Alim’s mother found a special day-school that would accept him. On enrolment she had just one request: ‘Please don’t accept him if you might kick him out in the end.’ The staff decided to take him in and give him a new chance. The day-school staff recognized Alim’s stammering problem and looked for help. They approached Operation Mercy who ran a program for children with disabilities.  But soon Alim started to misbehave. What should the therapist do?  The staff talked together and design a motivational plan for Alim. Small, reachable goals are set with him. Each time he reaches a goal he is allowed to put together a piece of a wooden helicopter – something he had been dreaming of having for a long time. ‘My brain is too stupid for this’ Alim says to himself repeatedly while trying to fit the pieces - and the Operation Mercy staff reinforce: ‘You have a clever brain – look what you have learned already.’ 

Today Alim does his homework diligently, comes to therapy regularly by himself and his eyes shine when the social worker and therapist praise him for his achievements and bring out the helicopter. Quickly he finds the next pieces, sands them carefully and fits them in – one piece at the time. One day this helicopter will take off and fly…