Doctor Hasan Kurdi, Full-time Volunteering Psychiatrist at Al Salam School.

“I work both with the staff and with the students here. I organize regular meetings and workshops for the employees, teaching them how to communicate effectively, how to deal with interpersonal problems, and how to manage stress etc.

Being the only psychiatrist for almost 2000 kids, it’s much more complicated to treat the students. I make rounds in the playground and within classes to identify cases that require help. Most students suffer from pains no one can see. Some kids are hyperactive, others are extremely lonely. Some have lost a parent, others have lost both, and most parents think more about finding a job than taking care of their children.

Thankfully, this school plays this parental role for them and every single student that I have followed has been making amazing progress since day 1. They can feel supported and loved here, which is essential for them to heal from their traumas.”