What doesn't a mother do for her sick child? leaves home and goes in search of help; shouts; cries; asks for mercy; he keeps his tenacity intact and the certainty that the impossible is possible; he can sometimes respond to the crudeness of the situation with surprising logic. Maternal love and trust are her strengths. This attitude is the photograph of a person's living and operating hope.
Even our hope can enter into crisis due to an unforeseen difficulty, an unexpected fact that disturbs our plans, or due to a serious illness, or when a very painful situation drags on and - we could add - due to the lack of peace in the world, due to structural injustices; due to the serious environmental situation of the planet, or due to family and social conflicts… And one of our weaknesses could be the lack of perseverance and trust.
We must believe that fraternal and cooperative love allows us to face extreme situations and arouses in us the strength necessary to carry out our projects, and satisfy expectations and the vital needs of ourselves and those around us.
This is what happened in Saliba. He too seemed forced to leave his city, Homs (Syria) and his already elderly parents. His father's glassmaking business had been destroyed during the war in a desolate town. Like other young people, Saliba thought about looking for new possibilities elsewhere, but he didn't give up. At 22 years old and with the obstinacy of someone who does not give up doing something for his wounded people, he took the opportunity that the project offered him RestarT, that is, to open a small shop where his fellow citizens could find artisanal cheese, yogurt and butter made by his mother, as well as vegetables, oil, spices and coffee. He already had a refrigerator and a generator. Furthermore, helped by his father, he decided to do something more for his people on the days when the shop was closed, choosing to help less well-off families and distributing mainly food. His experience continues today among a population that has been suffering unprecedented violence for many years.