EDUCATION

Education is the single and most important factor in breaking the cycle of poverty that has been brought on by the war, economic crisis, sanctions and earthquakes in Syria, in addition to providing sustainable solutions for rebuilding this war-ravaged nation.

Without significant input into the education of these children, they will be a lost generation where only the fittest and most privileged will survive or be able to raise their own children in dignity.

We are running free educational support programs in Syria, currently focused on orphans and some of the most vulnerable children, to enable them to reach their potential in life. At the time of writing our team are teaching orphans from elementary school as well as secondary school age, in specialist subjects including Arabic, maths, sciences, English, French, art and music. We are also providing special programs focused on years nine and twelve, which are the key exam years in Syria, equivalent to GCSE and A Level years. The program is proving to be very popular with a rapid uptake, and in the first few weeks of starting, second and third classes have needed to be added for some age groups. We are continuing to expand these programs as our space and team capacity allows, and are opening a second centre in another area of great need at the start of 2022.

It is our aim that in the future, this work will continue to grow and develop, with the goal of having a fully functioning registered school. Our current space capacity is insufficient for a registered school so in the meantime, as we work towards this ultimate goal, we are running teaching and educational support programs focusing on the subjects which form the key foundation for education and gaining qualifications that will enable living a full life as an adult. Many children have learnt to read and write at our centre as well as improving their grades.

As we are working with some of the poorest and most vulnerable children, a free, nutritionally balanced meal is provided as part of our educational support programmes for these children, and are sending extra cooked food home to the families they live with. It is an important provision for these children to ensure they can concentrate in their lessons, and it also supports their impoverished families by giving them a balanced meal. Some of these children are already forced to work, to support their families at a very young age, so providing food is a also nice way of encouraging them to take time out to come and spend a couple of hours learning.

Some of the children we are connected with have missed years of schooling or have never even been to school before. Our goal is to ensure that education is made available, encouraged and supported for as many orphaned and vulnerable children as we are able serve. Many of the children we serve have hopes and ambitions for career paths they would like to follow in life, yet many of them will struggle to reach these goals without considerable input into their learning at this stage. We are keen to help them realise their dreams and ambitions.

The children attending our education programs come from a diverse range of backgrounds, but each of them battle with their own set of disadvantages. All have suffered bereavement of at least one parent, but a large number have lost both parents, some have lost their siblings too, and most have suffered or witnessed traumas, some of which are more brutal than anyone could imagine. Many of them are living in very poor conditions now, with some living in the ruins and rubble of soot blackened, bomb damaged buildings, with no widows or doors. In winter it is bitterly cold in many of their homes.

This project exists to demonstrate love and compassion, and to invest in these children’s present experience of life, showing them they are valued and important, as well as to develop their potential for adult life. It also exists to help train and equip the next generation in Syria to be part of the rebuilding process, of their homes, communities and their country.

Our goal is to raise an additional £6,000 per month in regular giving, ie standing orders, to fund the continued running of our two centres, and a third we hope to establish, for the long term. At current exchange rates it costs us around

- £40 each day to feed around 100-120 vulnerable children at each centre (£80 to serve both current centres)

- £150 to pay the average monthly salary of each of our staff who coordinate, teach, cook and clean at each centre.

If you, your church, your friends or family can help in any way, we would be grateful for your support. Please use our standard giving form on the SUPPORT page and choose the ‘Orphans & Widows’ account.