Skip to main content

Rebuilding Syria

Peace Direct is raising vital funds and awareness for local peacebuilders in Syria as they begin building a safer future after 13 years of brutal conflict.
X's Story - Child Guardians, Syria, 2025
sectional-banner-texture

The Syrian conflict may be over. But the struggle for peace is not.

After more than a decade of devastating conflict, Syria remains one of the most challenging humanitarian crises in the world. Despite hopes for recovery, the situation for millions of children and young people remains dire.

That’s why we are partnering with Child Guardians to raise vital funds and awareness to rebuild Syria: to create a safe future for millions of Syrian children who have been traumatised by conflict.

The end of the war is just the start of the story and, for the first time in decades, Syrians are writing the next chapter. Join us and Child Guardians in rebuilding Syria.

  • A boy writing on a whiteboard in class, quote reads 'rebuilding schools'
  • A girl smiling into the distance holding a flower, quote reads 'rebuilding trust'
  • A group of children playing outside a bombed building, quote reads 'rebuilding safe spaces'
  • 3 people looking out across mountains, quote reads 'rebuilding communities'
What is happening for children and young people in Syria now?

For over 13 years, children in Syria have endured unimaginable hardships.

More than 7,000 schools have been damaged or destroyed, leaving nearly 2 million children out of school. Many are unable to return to education because they are still coping with trauma, or they are forced to work to support their families.

Years of violence have dismantled systems that once protected children, leaving them vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Cases of child trafficking, disappearances, and violence have become increasingly common.

Your support is needed to rebuild the education system and ensure that every child has the chance to thrive in a safer, more inclusive Syria. 

How are our partner Child Guardians helping?

Since 2012, Child Guardians have been providing urgent protection to Syrian children, the most affected victims of the Syrian conflict.
Their work focuses on ensuring all children can learn and live in safety, free from abuse and exploitation.  They also provide vital healing and support to young people and families who have been traumatised by violence. Support their lifesaving work with a donation today.

2 million children in Syria are out of school after 13 years of conflict.

A donation today will help change the future for children in Syria and warzones around the world.

What your support makes possible:

Our partner, Child Guardians, is on the ground, transforming lives—one child, one school, one community at a time. Your support today can make a tangible difference.

  • £20 could help to provide:

    👉 A school bag with stationery and hygiene items.
    👉 A full set of school textbooks for one child.
    👉 A warm winter jacket to protect against harsh weather.
    👉 A small food basket for a family.

  • £50 could help to provide:

    👉 Prescription glasses for a child with impaired vision.
    👉 A full set of classroom supplies for a teacher supporting 50 students.
    👉 One-year internet connection for a school.
    👉 One child’s enrolment in a safe and supportive learning environment for an entire year.

  • £100 could help to provide:

    👉 One-month grant for a family, enabling a child to return to school instead of working.
    👉 A complete education and protection kit for an out-of-school child living in street conditions.
    👉 Urgent social protection, medical care, and trauma counselling for a child.
    👉 Sponsorship for one child to attend a 3-month summer school.

How is Child Guardians helping change the future for Syrian children?

“Hugs can help calm their nerves. So does singing loudly until the warplanes leave the skies…”

These are the words of Layla Hasso, a peacebuilder working with Child Guardians. Trauma and loss have shaped the lives of Syrian children for generations.

“After each military campaign, we lose children to unexploded bombs and ordnance left behind near schools.”

But Layla and her team are helping children heal.

“The first step to [helping children] recover from trauma is ensuring that they can continue their education as part of a daily routine. Our main goal has always been to keep schools open, whether in underground shelters or virtually … [When the bombs fall] our teachers do everything they can to keep the children calm.”

After 13 years of war, local peacebuilders like Layla will play a pivotal role in rebuilding their country. Donate today to continue supporting the work of Child Guardians.

How is Child Guardians helping young people to heal?

X, a fifteen-year-old, survived the devastating earthquake in February 2023 that tragically claimed the lives of his entire family. He was the sole survivor, spending long days trapped under the rubble.

This traumatic experience took a heavy toll on his mental health, leaving him feeling weak and exhausted.

In 2024, X received support from Child Guardians. They provided him with moral support, helping him set personal goals, learn new methods to manage his mental health, and embrace change in all aspects of his life to foster self-improvement.

This support had a major positive impact on X’s well-being, restoring his sense of hope, optimism, and motivation to continue his education. Donate today to continue supporting the work of Child Guardians.

Support Syrian children to live in safety and freedom by donating to our work with Child Guardians today.

Why now?

Syria is entering a fragile post-conflict phase. The choices we make now will shape whether children grow up with the tools to rebuild their country – or remain trapped in cycles of violence and poverty.

In the words of Child Guardians:
‘Today, we stop documenting violations and begin writing the history of a free Syria…We are partners in this.’

Your donation isn’t just charity – it’s a vote for a future Syria that protects and educates its children.

2 children looking out of a bombed building

Please support peacebuilders protecting children in Syria with a donation today.

Donate today to support peacebuilders building peace in Syria and around the world.

This is a shared appeal, with all proceeds being equally shared to support Child Guardian’s work in Syria, as well as Peace Direct’s efforts to support local peacebuilding around the world.
Two children in a classroom quote reads ''Today, we are more committed than ever to safeguarding Syrian children’s rights and supporting them to thrive. We are partners in rebuilding hope.' Child Guardians