There was a morning when half of the group went to meet a reporter in a newspaper, and half of us went to a Syrian refugee school. I went to the latter.
It was my favorite part of the entire trip, mainly for the humanity of it all. The Syrian conflict is so little talked about, and when it is, it is painted in a war-like or statistical point of view, often including distrust. These were hardworking men, women, and children. There were grades ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade, all of whom seemed happy in their situation. The children did a formalized greeting and spoke Arabic, Turkish, and usually English. It was quite good.
They also were not asking for pity in their situation. The owners of the school made us a giant feast with Syrian falafel and such, as well as coffee and tea. They wanted to welcome us and treat us as an honored guests. They even made crafts in order to raise enough money on their own without begging for hoping for charities to come along.
This, for me, was the most fulfilling part of the trip. It shows the connections of people and the real ramifications of such actions. The Syrian struggle seems so distant in America, but it is real and not slowing down; if anything, the advent of ISIS just added a new layer.
Sitting in the back of the classrooms, listening to lessons and hearing the students talking about us or to us, was priceless and unforgettable.