Junior Ilyaas Arsala went to Turkey over winter break to help Syrian orphans and refugees from what is known to be the biggest humanitarian emergency of the 21st  century.

For over a week, Arsala and his mother spent time with Syrian children, visiting orphanages and schools in Reyhanli, which is on the border of Syria and Turkey. He also visited families who had no means of support, providing some financial assistance.

He decided to help Syrian refugees because of the terrible conditions they are forced to live with and the trauma they have gone through since civil war erupted in 2011.

Many of the people he was able to help were orphans, widows and the disabled.

“The most memorable thing was meeting all the orphans,” Arsala said. “What hit me hardest was seeing their faces. They were so traumatized from what they experienced that it seemed they couldn’t smile.”

Arsala’s main goals were to help the refugees by trying to raise awareness and shed light on the situation. Before going on his trip, he began fundraising to support the education of orphans. With the generous help of many friends family, and others, he was able to donate $12,000.

“I was surprised when Ilyaas first told me he was going to help Syrian refugees,” said sophomore Narges Torabi, Ilyaas’ friend. “When he came back and told me stories it was all very inspiring and now he seems so much more grateful for his life.”

Arsala arrived in Istanbul on Dec. 29 and then went to Reyhanli. Here he met orphans and refugee families from Syria.

Arsala saw families of more than seven people living in small rooms with no heater or blankets during the winter when the temperature would drop below freezing.

“It was terrible,” said Arsala. “Many of the men I saw were disabled from bombings, which made it nearly impossible for them to get jobs to support their families.”

During his trip he worked with GiveLight Foundation. He worked to hand out blankets, money, shoes, and other basic resources to families.

GiveLight Foundation is a  Silicon Valley-based, non-profit, humanitarian relief organization that establishes orphanages and supports orphans globally.

“Giving them blankets and shoes felt like nothing,” Arsala said. “Every time we met a new child, I wanted to give them more.”

The war in Syria began with an uprising and rebellion in 2011, and it grew into a large civil war. As a result, approximately 220,000 people have been killed.

More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other as well as jihadist militants from so-called Islamic State.

Many families have fled to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq. An estimated 6.6 million people are displaced in Syria, according to BBC news.

After spending 10 days with Syrian refugees, Arsala realized how thankful he is for the countless opportunities he has in America.

“My experiences in Turkey taught me that no matter how bad your situation gets, there is always someone who has it a hundred times worse,” Arsala said. “There were families without basic supplies and it reflected just how lucky we [are].”

Before going on his trip to Turkey, his parents had encouraged him to do other fundraising activities. This included making and distributing sandwiches to the homeless in Berkeley, handing out hats in the winter, and selling food to raise money for the children in Somalia.

“He is very kind, unique,” said Arsala’s aunt, Dorkhany. “Even as a child I remember he was always willing to help, which we can see now on a larger scale through his trip. When he came back I noticed how much he had grown through this trip. Ilyaas is now more mature and seems to be thankful for whatever he is given.”

Inspiration for his trip came from seeing an abundance of pictures of children and families desperately trying to escape from the war and many drowning in unsafe refuge.

“At first I didn’t think it would be possible for us to go with all the safety issues but we were going to try hard,” said Arsala’s mom, Zohra. “After the trip I can now say, don’t take your life for granted and appreciate what you have, don’t complain.”

Both Arsala and his mom agree that this trip reaffirmed the idea that they can never take anything for granted. They said their trip opened their eyes to harsh realities and true challenges that others face.

“It gave me a sense of duty and responsibility,” said Arsala. “This trip convinced me that we have a responsibility to help those who need it and solidified the fact that this will not be the last time we have a project like this one.”