One old bus reached thousands of children with stories

A brightly painted bus is delivering books, puppet shows and art supplies to children across rural Syria, part of a Mobile Cultural Bus project launched by Syria's Ministry of Culture with volunteers. It began as an old bus donated by a supporter, cleaned and repaired before being repainted and loaded with novels, drawing equipment and a small puppet theatre. "We realised that many children had never stepped foot inside a library," says project director Mohammad Murad. "If they cannot go to culture, we must bring culture to them." A visit lasts several hours, usually ending with a puppet show. So far the project has reached thousands of children across 39 areas near Damascus, with Homs among recent stops. Walid al-Samahi, 12, loves science fiction but can't afford books. After holding one, he hugged it and smiled. He wants to become a teacher, so other children don't feel as lonely as he did.