Education is hope: Fuad and Amany share their journey back to the classroom in North-West Syria

From a young age, Fuad has had a deep love for learning. In 1997 he graduated and began his long career in what he deems the most vital of professions – teaching.

In 2019, the war turned his life upside down. Forced to flee his village in North-West Syria, he found himself moving from tent to tent with no room for a blackboard or pen. For two years he remained away from the classroom and the profession he loved – finding ways to educate children living in the camp to the best of his ability.

But now thanks to an educational initiative spearheaded by the Takaful Al-Sham (TAS) organisation, Fuad has been given the opportunity to return to teaching in one of the schools supported by the project.

The initiative supported by War Child is part of the Building a Brighter Future: Education and Protection Services for Crisis-Affected Children in North-West Syria project funded by the European Union's ECHO.

For Fuad, teachers are the creators of the future, and without them no other professions would exist. He considers the role a responsibility and a sacred trust on his shoulders. For 28 years, he has not been just a teacher, but a father to his students, guiding them, motivating them, and filling their hearts with ambition and hope.

Although Fuad is currently still experiencing displacement and his village has been destroyed, hope never leaves his heart.

He dreams of one day returning home to teach the local children, convinced that a nation is not only built with stones, but with minds and determination. Education is the true path to rebuilding society.

When the war began, young Amany and her family had no choice but to abandon their home in the countryside. They left everything behind, fleeing the great explosions that rocked the land and sowed terror in their hearts. The journey was harsh, taking them far from their home to a camp in northern Syria.

Amidst the challenges of displacement, Amany began to suffer from leukemia. The disease affected not only her physical health, but also the emotional well-being of her whole family. At only five years old, she began treatment and traveled to Türkiye for medical care which prevented her from attending school.

This continued for several years, until her aspiration for education had all but disappeared. However, with time, her health began to improve, and she was finally able to return to the classroom.

Unfortunately, her long absence meant that while she entered the first grade at primary school, children her age had already reached the fourth grade. The age and educational gap created distance between her and her peers, and she suffered from social isolation.

Amany started missing school in an attempt to hide herself from others. As her absences from school became more frequent, the teachers contacted the school’s protection officer, and the psychological reason behind her truancy was revealed.

The protection officer went to visit Amany’s mother at home, where she delivered an awareness session on the importance of education and its positive impact on her daughter’s life, as well as the dangers of dropping out.

Amany returned to school with her mother’s support and began to show a remarkable improvement in her attendance. Her teachers made an extraordinary effort to support her learning.

Thanks to personalised psychosocial sessions with the protection officer, Amany has been able to reconnect with her peers and grow in confidence. Through group psychological activities, she has discovered new aspects of her personality, made new friends, and is gradually feeling at home in the classroom again.

The protection officer also arranged for Amany to be enrolled in the case management system to ensure she will continue to receive support to overcome any future difficulties that might hinder her education.

Amany carries within her a great aspiration: to one day wear the white coat of medicine and help children suffering from the same disease she bravely fought.