War often prevents children from receiving education. During conflict, school acts as a place of safety for children. In Syria, many children have been forced out of school as a result of the war, denying them their right to education.
March 2023 marks 12 years since the start of the war in Syria. During this period, over 2.4 million children have been forced out of school. Education is essential in protecting children and their livelihoods, especially during conflict. The UN has emphasised the importance of education for youth; without it, the next generation won’t develop the necessary skills to conribute to society and children will be left vulnerable, in a time when they are susceptible to abuse, exploitation or recruitment into armed groups.
Our partner Swaadna works to reintegrate children into education in Syria, providing them with the tools they need to achieve their dreams.
Khatoun is 10 years old. She’s from Bza’a town and lives with her family. The conflict in Syria has disrupted their lives. As a result, Khatoun had to drop out of school for 3 years.
Without access to education, she was unable to read or write. This was before she joined Swaadna Education Centre. In 2021 she attended their programme at the first level, which helps to improve the educational skills of young children who have not had access to school. Khatoun began to read and write words in Arabic, English and numbers in maths. With the support of the Education Centre, she has passed her exams and has moved up to the second level.
She wants to continue her education, moving to a formal school next year. She dreams of becoming a doctor one day and healing elderly people, especially her grandmother.
“I wish [to] become a doctor, to treat my grandmother’s heart and all the elderly people’s hearts. I don’t want to see them suffering”.
Without education, conflict leaves children vulnerable and without hope of a brighter future. We are grateful to all of our partners who offer support and a safe space to youth during the most testing of times.
