In 2011, the world watched as Syria rose up in protest against its longtime authoritarian ruling family the Assads. Corruption, oppression, and indifference became too much for many to bare - while we in the U.S. watched the Middle Eastern country become embroiled in civil war and become a geopolitical football, people struggled to survive in besieged cities like Aleppo and Homs. This is one of those stories.
At 16 years old, YaraSamman was living in Homs. Schools closed, explosions, and the sight of death became normal. Yara, who hopes to see a democratic Syria one day, sees the trap of violence and reflects on the real heroes of the revolution.
The following track was recorded at the September 6, 2016 Worth Repeating with the theme "Fight or Flight." Worth Repeating is Texas Public Radio's live storytelling event series.