A number of media outlets followed Arwad to write stories about him, the fact which only added to his feeling of anxiety. Both Arwad and his family were very keen to join the YMCA family as they felt they would find relief and peace of mind through the YMCA’s intervention.

The YMCA’s counselor worked with Arwad for eight months, during which he provided him with counseling sessions that helped him get rid of feelings of anxiety, relax and build his self-confidence. He could not sleep at night; he only had few hours of sleep during the day. Arwad’s main fear was that the military would take him again and he would not be able to finish school, “If they take me now, will I be able to continue studying? What will I do?” he said. The counselor arranged for Arwad remedial education classes to catch up with the classes he missed during the arrest and also to give him more support in class. In parallel, Arwad’s parents received support through group counseling sessions where they were able to release feelings of stress and anxiety. They also learnt techniques to better communicate with their son. They met with other parents who lived the same experience. Arwad’s mother said: “he is not the type of person that wants to talk much. But when he spoke with his counselor, he told him everything and was able to get everything off his chest.”

Arwad passed the Tawjihi exams and achieved excellent marks. He is planning to attend law school at Al-Quds University. He became a vibrant boy who loves to go out, play football and swim. Arwad told us “I became better and stronger than before”.