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Nestled at the head of the Swansea Valley, you wouldn't be wrong in thinking that the small mining village of Ystradgynlais is worlds away from the hubbub of Damascus - the capital city of war-torn Syria.

Yet for the the nine refugee families who have called the village home for the last few years, this is where their worlds have collided.

Perhaps the loveliest symbol of the extent to which they have been welcomed into this community - and have contributed to it - is 14-year-old Ayman Faki.

Ayman, one of 41 Syrians who have settled into the village, is now the star winger on the village's under 15s rugby side.

(Image: Media Wales)

When he came with his family to Ystradgynlais nearly four years ago, the village was worlds away from his previous life in Syria and Turkey.

Ayman and his family fled Syria when he was just seven years old. They found refuge in Turkey before eventually being settled in Ystradgynlais as part of the government's Syrian Refugee Resettlement program.

The scheme was launched in January 2014 and has helped those in the greatest need, including people requiring urgent medical treatment, survivors of violence and torture, and women and children at risk.

Through the scheme, local authorities work with the government to resettle refugees into British communities - providing housing, helping to find work and looking after the most vulnerable.

Ystradgynlais is just one of three areas in Powys which were selected as suitable places to resettle the refugees.

(Image: Media Wales)

Ayman came to Ystradgynlais with his parents and three siblings. The family could speak very little English - in a country they knew very little about.

Looking back, the teenager says this has been one of the biggest adjustments.

“It was hard at first because we didn’t know the language - we didn’t know how to speak it or talk with everyone," he says.

Unbelievably, Ayman, who is a pupil at Ysgol Maesydderwen, now confidently speaks with a slight Welsh accent.

"Our parents struggle a lot. They don’t speak much English at all and so we have to help them with things."

"Me and my brothers we are fine with it now, with school and everything that has helped us. My little brother who's six is actually really good at speaking English."

While Ayman says life in Ystradgynlais was very different to his one in Syria - he feels welcomed into the community.

"It's nice, the people are nice here. I like it."

(Image: Media Wales)

As with most boys his age, what's bonded Ayman with the village more than anything is the game of rugby.

Ystradgynlais is a place which has produced many great rugby players over the years - including current Welsh international Owen Williams.

Keen to get in on the action, Ayman joined Ystradgynlais RFC under 15s rugby team last summer and is now a key winger for the side.

Despite being shy in his demeanor, Ayman lights up when talking about the game.

"I'm really happy when I'm playing, I'm really confident," he says.

(Image: Media Wales)

While most people in Wales like to think they know a bit about rugby, for Ayman it was completely alien.

"I didn't know what rugby was. I'd never played it or really seen it before I came to Ystradgynlais," he said.

"I was just passed a ball by my friend in school one day and it started there. My friend Iestyn introduced me to it and I decided to come along to the training with Ystrad then.

"I didn't know really what I was getting into when I started but it's really good."

(Image: Media Wales)

More than just a game, playing for Ystradgynlais has introduced Ayman to a community of boys his age - and to a world of camaraderie.

"It's a really good group of boys, I enjoy playing with them. We play rugby in school too; it's good playing with friends."

Now, like most of us, for the next few weeks Ayman is fully engrossed in the Six Nations.

"I'm supporting Wales - I've been watching the Six Nations. Rugby in Wales in really good."

Despite the under 15s team only forming last summer, Ayman has become a key player. Those around him say he's never more confident than with a rugby ball in his hand, and is more than willing to get stuck in.

Team coach Martin Jones says Ayman is "part of the furniture" in the team since joining.

(Image: Media Wales)

“We put a team together in the summer, we only had like eight to nine boys who had played rugby before so the rest of the team was made up of people who wanted to come along - it was a bit of a mixed bag," said Martin.

“Our policy was we aren't going to say no to anybody - whoever wants to play can play.

“Once a ball was involved he got himself involved straight away - he didn’t mind getting hurt or banged about a bit which is obviously important in rugby. He fitted in straight away."

(Image: Media Wales)

Despite breaking his collarbone last year, Martin says Ayman was raring to get back to the team.

“He ran into a tackle so hard with one of our boys and he snapped his collarbone," he said.

"Fair play to him he didn’t even go home - he stood on the side shivering watching the session. As soon as he got injured he’s just been nagging when can he come back.

"Even when he was injured he didn’t miss a training session."

(Image: Media Wales)

More than just playing rugby, Ayman's confidence has grown since he started playing.

“He’s really friendly with a lot of the boys from school - it’s more than a team thing it’s an all day thing. They talk about rugby all week, they hype the game up on Sunday.

“He’s such a character, when you see him around the village he’s shouting over to you in his Welsh accent - he’s just very friendly.

“He’s one of the biggest characters in the team - he’s part of the furniture now," Martin added.

Ayman is just one of the 41 refugees which have made the cusp of the Brecon Beacons their home as part of the program.

Thirty-year-old Hasan Al Jammal fled Syria after war broke out in the country. He arrived in Ystradgynlais almost four years ago with his wife and four month old baby. He has since had a two year old son and his wife is expecting another child.

His is one of the few families who have extended relatives with them in the village - his father and step mother arrived at the same time but unfortunately his step-mum passed away last year from cancer.

Of all of the families of refugees that arrived in Ystradgynlais, Hassan is one of the only members who is able to confidently speak English. This means that he often takes on the responsibility of helping the other families where he can, acting as a translator.

(Image: Media Wales)

Hasan's wife has hearing difficulties and so he is learning sign language in the hopes of helping her.

While Hasan now works in a fish and chip shop in the village, he said the language barrier initially caused difficulties.

“It was difficult when we first got here. With the language and needing certain certificates to work and things," he said.

"It's good here, but I feel stressed out sometimes. I have a lot of things to think about and a lot of people to look after."

"The language is difficult. Some long words I don't understand and some words are the same - like flower and flour are the same but different. That is confusing."

(Image: Media Wales)

Despite his immediate family being with him in Ystradgynlais, a lot of his family are still living in Syria and Jordan - something Hasan says he worries about.

"I have three sisters and one brother in Syria and one sister and one brother in Jordan - they are all in bad conditions.

“I would like to bring them here but we’ve filled in the form but heard nothing yet. I would like them here because it is quiet and safe. They could work.

“I like working there - I like working in restaurants, when I lived in Jordan I was a chef for three years. I work in a fish and chip shop on Commercial Street now."

(Image: Media Wales)

A common thread each of the refugees has said about Ystradgynlais is how quiet it is. It is glaringly apparent that compared to the war-torn countries they have left, there is a serenity about village life, a simplicity.

“I like it here, it’s quiet and calm here," said Hasan.

"It’s good for my daughter she likes school here, she likes her teachers. It's safe."

On meeting 16-year-old Abudi Saddouf, it is almost impossible to believe that he has only lived in the Welsh village for just over a year.

Despite only living in Wales since January 2019, he has already passed his maths GCSE exam and his English is near perfect. He is now preparing to sit the higher maths exam.

(Image: Media Wales)

Abudi fled Syria when he was 11 years old, and found refuge in Lebanon before being re-homed in the Welsh valley. He came to Wales with his parents, and his 15 and five-year-old brothers.

For such a traumatic experience, Abudi has taken it in his stride - and says his positive attitude has helped.

"How I think about it is - if you think of something as hard or say it’s hard then that’s what makes it hard. So I try and think of everything as being easy even if it’s not," he muses.

(Image: Media Wales)

Like the other refugees, he says Ystradgynlais is a calm place to be. He cannot believe that the Welsh beauty he was in awe of on his arrival is now his home.

“Now that I’m in Ystradgynlais, life is better - when I first got here I was like ‘everything’s so beautiful' but now that’s my everyday.

“It’s nice here, Ystradgynlais is calm. All of the green grass and the trees around - it’s so nice."

“Syria was beautiful but different. The things I remember from there and miss are my family - like my grandfather and grandmother. But because I was young the memories from that time are a little bit lost.

“My parents go to college now to learn languages. It's so nice they can do that."

(Image: Media Wales)

While all nine families are safe and resettled in Ystradgynlais, it's difficult to see how it would be possible without EYST - Ethnic Minorities & Youth Support Team Wales.

Caroline Massey is a Family Support Worker for the Syrian Resettlement Project based in Ystradgynlais. On Fridays she runs a drop in centre for the families but is on call for assistance all the time.

In these sessions, Caroline can liaise between the families and companies, help them sort bills and manage and problems they may have.

Caroline says: “I think they’ve settled in very well, some may not feel the same because different people look at things in different ways but I think they're doing so well.

"There’s been a few niggles here and there like getting to hospital appointments etc but I think they’re all doing great."

While she says the adults are all eager to work and learn, the children have taken especially well to their new life.

(Image: Media Wales)

“The children have settled in really well. They’re passing exams and studying maths and science and doing well - all things I could only dream of doing. And to think when a lot of them arrived they didn’t have any English at all really.

"They just put themselves they just decide they're going to get on with it and do it. They're doing amazingly.

“They're really lovely, respectful, polite, people. They don't actually expect everything to be thrown at them but at the same time if we can help them to get on then that's what we'll do."