Little Amal—a 12-foot-tall Syrian refugee puppet — arrived in New York on Wednesday, armed with a message of hope and humanity. She walked around the Upper West Side of NYC on 17 September 2022 and greeted well wishers at Lincoln Center.

Last year, she traveled 5,000 miles across Europe from Turkey to Britain in search of her mother, and, in May, she met with Ukrainian refugees in Poland. She will tour New York City’s five boroughs, visiting with children, artists, politicians and community leaders to help highlight the experiences of millions of displaced refugees.

Amal, whose name means “hope” in Arabic, is operated by up to four people, including one person on stilts. The puppet is the protagonist in what is ostensibly a traveling theater project meant to remind a news-fatigued public about the children fleeing violence and persecution.

When Amal and her puppeteers touched down at Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday, they were welcomed by members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and its children’s choir. The trip will include more than 50 events of welcome.

Photos by Manoli Figetakis