"It was perfect!"

June 20, 2023 11:18 AM

Simone Giertz visits Mohammad Waheed, a syrian toymaker, for the UNHCR series "We Were Here".

From the youtube video description: In support of World Refugee Day, We Were Here is an original documentary series from YouTube and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, that seeks to challenge stereotypes and perceptions about refugees by focusing on what unites us rather than sets us apart - our shared passions.

posted by Pendragon (8 comments total)

"But this is so nice! It has gearing! It has all the controllers and everything! Why would you not want this, because if you just put an engine on it you're not going to have any control of it, and you're still going to need all the electronics..."

But...it needs more glitter foam. The kids love glitter foam.

(This is a man that knows his target market.)
posted by CaseyB at 11:30 AM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]

It is so important that children feel happiness. That was beautiful; thanks for this post.
posted by heyho at 12:52 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

"Every child wants to be happy. Every child has aspirations, in all meanings of the word.The joy of the kids and them feeling happy! This is hope."

Glad they gave him the last words. Sad that they aren't universally understood/acted upon.

Also, the "grumpy old man / young person" workshop energy reminds me of my grandad trying to teach me things when I was a dumb kid that didn't pay enough attention.
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:04 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

Every child has aspirations, in all meanings of the word.

This sentence caught my heart. Is there an Arabic speaker here who can tell me what the word was that got translated as “aspirations,” and if there are nuances to the word that the translation doesn’t quite capture?

So sad to see his tears at the parting. He has been there 10 years. What a complicated set of feelings.
posted by Silvery Fish at 1:53 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

This was great! Thank you for posting.
posted by FallibleHuman at 8:48 PM on June 20, 2023

2020s meets the 1960s? I've just been send a pic of my 7 y.o. g.dau. using a pull saw under the eye of the neighbourhood bricoleur. If she ends up making a plane that requires her to run around like a mad thing holding it aloft while making neeeeeooooow sounds that will be A Win in my book. A KiwiCo kit is not the same.
posted by BobTheScientist at 2:22 AM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

Ah, that was a good watch. And left me melancholy as hell.
posted by Harald74 at 1:54 AM on June 22, 2023

That left me with very mixed feelings; I was happy to see their joy at collaborating and having fun, but the conditions he works in just make me so sad for him.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 7:04 AM on June 22, 2023