ALEPPO, Syria — Maysa Nader has many responsibilities as a wife and mother of three, yet she makes time to volunteer in the Syria Civil Defense — the White Helmets — in the areas under opposition control in Aleppo province. Nader seems adept at balancing her familial and volunteer demands, with her family's support.

Each morning, she told Al-Monitor, she heads to the White Helmets center in Atareb. Nader, 25, is one of more than 200 women who volunteer in Idlib, Hama, Aleppo and Latakia provinces.

“We ... work as an integrated team," said Nader, who joined the organization in February 2017. "Our tasks are diverse. We provide first aid to civilians and organize awareness sessions on the [dangers of unexploded] remnants of war for school students, in camps and civilian communities. We set up recreational activities for children in the displaced camps." 

Jamil Ibrahim, a volunteer in Azaz, told Al-Monitor, “Our mission in the White Helmets is to save lives and help people, to minimize the disastrous conditions they live in due to the war. It is a noble mission that makes me feel more humane."