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This story was written with support from IJNet Arabic’s Mentoring Center for Media Startups
Written by: Ibrahim Al-Munifi
Translated by: Yasser Muhammed
Children in Yemen’s rural areas normally have a very simple routine. They attend school in the morning, return home at noon, eat lunch, and then take their herds out for grazing. The children in Al-Aghmour subdistrict, in Sana’a governorate are no different
On a beautiful afternoon, 10-year-old boy Aseel Hassan returned home with his family’s herd. He called his brother to bring the herd into the pens, while he ran to the roof of the house to check on a special toy he hid there
This story begins early in 2018, six months before the terrible accident. Aseel was herding sheep next to a military camp in the area, were he got a pyramid-shaped toy that was approximately 30cm-long and which he kept for himself rather than sharing it with his brother and the other children
The time was close to the month of Ramadan, before which the school year ends in mid-May. Aseel has successfully passed from the third to the fourth grade with merits
Like other children, Aseel loves all types of candy and sweets, but he loves nothing more than ice-cream. As soon as Aseel’s eyes catch the traveling ice cream vendor he rushes to him either with money or some scrap of copper to exchange it for ice cream, and this is what made Aseel a good customer to the ice cream guy, Aseel always paid
And with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, the ice cream guy did not come by the village as he used to, after all, ice cream is a daytime treat in Yemen, and during the day in Ramadan, people are fasting
As for Aseel’s Ramadan routine, it is not different from that in other months of the year. He goes along with his friends in their herding trips, from the early afternoon until the sunset. As soon as they hear the Masjid speakers getting ready to call for Maghrib prayers which is also the time to break the fast in Ramadan, the children rush to their homes
While, Ramadan days pass quickly, children savor the remaining fun holidays, and prepare to welcome Eid Al-Fitr by buying sweets and new clothes. However, Aseel and his brother Muhammad along with the rest of the family’s children are preparing for something else, which makes them very happy. Aseel’s family are used to meet during the holidays at their grandfather’s home
Aseel, Muhammad and the other children are waiting to be joined by their cousins who are visiting from Sana’a to spend the Eid holiday in the village at the grandfather’s home
Meanwhile, 9-year-old Bashar can barely hold himself down, he is almost flying with joy at the approaching date of Eid Al-Fitr, which he will spend in the village with his cousins
Bashar traveled to the village in what seemed to be the last day of Ramadan, along with children and adults from the family all in one car.
The competent authorities announced that Ramadan in that year will be 30 days, not 29, thus the children will have one more day of fun
The next day, when the sun was about to set, the three children, Aseel, his brother Muhammad, and their cousin Bashar, were playing and singing all over their grandfather’s home
Around this time, Aseel remembered his hidden precious toy which he hid on the rooftop of his grandfather’s home for six whole months. He decided to share his toy with his brother and cousin. The children started passing the toy between themselves until they got tired of it
Behind the grandfather’s living room, the afternoon sun was warm and pleasant. The three children sat on a tree trunk they found on the street and brought their toy again. Aseel remembered the travelling ice cream vendor who is coming to the village during Eid days
The children started throwing the metal object against the ground in an attempt to break it open, take the precious copper inside it and exchange it for ice cream. A simpl deadly plan
Suddenly the metal object exploded. Everyone in the vicinity heard the explosion, old and young men alike rushed franticly towards the sound of the explosion and the screaming children. The rescuers were faced with a shocking scene, three children lying in a pool of their own blood. Two of them were unconscious, while the third one was screaming at the top of his lung
Bashar spoke to the Media Center for Persons with Disabilities (MCPD) about his experience: “After the toy exploded, which later we were told it was an RPG round, we were rushed in a car to a near clinic to receive first aid treatment before we travelled to Sana’a, but Muhammad, my cousin died,” said Bashar
“Aseel and I remained in the Kuwait Hospital for about a month, I completely lost my left eye and part of my sight in the right eye. While Aseel’s eyes were damaged, he still had little vision left in both eyes,” added Bashar
As for Aseel, he still suffers from a deep pain that is still felt in his voice, despite the passage of nearly five years since the accident. However, Aseel is very optimistic, he was even honored last week for his distinction in a chess match at Al-Noor Center for the Visually Impaired
“I lost my brother in that accident. I also lost my eye sight partially. Despite the fact that I can see a little, I have to read and write in Braille. I advise everyone not to take any toy or anything they do not understand which may cause them a lot of pain throughout their lives,” said Aseel
Currently, Aseel and his cousin Bashar, are studying in the seventh grade at Al-Noor Center for the Visually Impaired in Sana’a, they also live in the center’s dorms
They praise the attention they receive along with the rest of their colleagues in terms of the comfort of residence, the variety of activities and the quality of the food
Aseel and Bashar enjoy a strong relationship, they look as if they are twins, even if only in uniforms
Childhood paid, and continues to pay, a hefty price for the war, and while there are many organizations advocating for children and childhood issues, they are almost never heard talking about the issues of children with disabilities and the horrific events they are confronted with
As for Aseel, Bashar, and others who were injured and handicapped due to the war, life did not stop, they continue to study and excel at it. And they will keep doing so, as long as they are supported by philanthropists and institutions that hold their hands and open doors of hope for them