by Essa Nussairat, age 18
I always went to school in Syria not only for studying but also for football. I went to football pitches designed for this purpose with my un- cle to spend a long time there. I was very happy when scoring a goal, but because of war I was pre- vented from going back there by my family lest I be exposed to any danger. Because of intensive bombing on civilians, it became unbearable to continue living in our village. My father made his decision to come to Za’atri Camp three years ago. At first, the adaptation to the way of living was very severe, but later we became accustomed to it. Initially, I could not play football because I could not find pitches for football. I did not despair and persisted until I heard about football pitches, so I went to them to improve my skill level and try to achieve my dream of becoming a famous foot- baller.