“While the social workers were checking on street children, they found two kids (7 and 8) who were selling sweets. They didn’t look like typical street kids, so they spoke to the children and found out that they live with their widowed mother and 4 year old sister. Their father, a soldier, was killed about a year ago in an ISIS terrorist operation. The team know that the government financially supports the families of soldiers killed in action. They visited the mother, and found that the family lived in extreme poverty, relying on local charity. The mother explained that she couldn’t get government support because her marriage certificate wasn’t confirmed officially, and she had no legal documents for her kids. She had no way to prove that her husband was killed. The team worked to get the legal documents for the three children, and official confirmation of the mother’s marriage. They then filed to get the mother and children a monthly pension of USD $1,000, plus financial compensation of $33,000. The family are now living in good conditions, and the children are registered for school.”

“While visiting one of the slums to identify children who need their legal documents, the Street Lawyers met a grandmother of 3 boys (6, 8 and 13). The grandmother said the boys’ mother was in Al-Rusafa women’s prison serving a 6 year sentence for stealing. She also explained that the boys hadn’t visited their mother for a year since she - the grandmother - is sick and doesn’t have money for transportation. One of the lawyers met with the prison administration to arrange a monthly visit for the boys and their grandmother. On their first visit, the Street Lawyers accompanied them and saw the joy and tears as they reunited. The Street Lawyers promised the mother that they will bring the boys to see her monthly.”

“The mother of Noor* (17) borrowed a lot of money because they were poor and had no reliable income. When the debtors began to demand repayment and threatened to get the mother arrested, a friend offered to pay her debts. The friend then demanded the mother repay the loan or send Noor to work as a prostitute where she would take $100 from Noor's nightly wages. Noor worked as a prostitute for several months until the friend demanded that the mother pay the full balance. To meet that demand, Noor’s mother sent Noor to another man to work as a prostitute. Finally, Noor was arrested at an apartment where she was working. The Street Lawyers intervened on Noor’s behalf, called for the mother to be arrested on charges of human trafficking, and defended Noor on grounds that she should be considered a victim, not a criminal. The authorities agreed and arrested the mother. They dropped prostitution charges against Noor and referred her to a government shelter.”

*Name changed to protect privacy

“Husam* - a 16 year old orphaned boy - was charged with an honor killing, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The case - the second of its kind that ICF has dealt with - involved the young boy being set up to be punished for a murder he did not commit.  Investigators began to doubt Husam's confession and eventually learned, through Husam's tears, that the honor killing was committed by an older cousin who knew that young Husam would get a lighter sentence if convicted. To get the boy to agree to the scheme, Husam was promised that his widowed mother would be taken care of. The Street Lawyers, armed with the truth,  obtained video evidence showing Husam was not at the location of the murder, secured his released, and protected Husam from a grievous miscarriage of justice.”

*Name changed to protect privacy