From Ashes to Ambition: How Education Rebuilds Syria’s Spirit

• Aamna Yaseen
• Oct 23, 2024
• 2 min read

Somewhere in the besieged terrains of Syria, where life as every individual knew it has been shattered and the only thing that is left is misery, there is still the glimmer of hope in the form of education. In the world, 222 million children and youth in conflict-affected regions are out of school, and more than half of this figure comprises girls. 

However, Amal’s Journey is representative of the fact that education can change lives. Amal was born a while after the war started, and thus, she was brought up in a world characterized by poverty and displacement. Her mother was widowed and was at work most of the time, and as such, there was no one whom Amal could interact with during her early childhood. Unsurprisingly, she became disruptive and refused to go to school.

Fortunately, AGENCI outreach services enabled Amal to return to school. After gaining psychosocial support and also attending some non-formal classes, Amal did not only go back to school but also restored her self-worth. The community stood by her and even provided her with money to pay for her school fees so that she could attend school for an extended period.

In Syria, education is much more than something beneficial to an individual’s development. It is a way of mending the social fabric of the country. For girls like Amal, this makes education a restitution—the lost years can be retrieved, the pain treated, and things beyond endurance envisioned.

In countries like Syria, there has been a civil war raging for the past 12 years and the communities and educational institutions have been destroyed. However, despite these challenges, projects like the “Adolescent Girls’ Education in Crisis Initiative” (AGENCI) are trying to bring the lost hopes back.

Conflict conditions further undermine girls’ and young women’s access to education. Additionally, in Syria, many girls are unable to attend school, not only because of the physical destruction of schools but also due to several cultural and social factors: the prevalence of early marriage, engagement in domestic chores without pay, and the presence of many forms of abuse. Out of all these young girls, the majority within this segment of the population are most likely to be deprived of education because emblems and wars of poverty are pushing them into even worse circumstances. 

Altogether, it is a very unwelcoming atmosphere for one looking to expand their knowledge base. Regardless, there is a desire for the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) to re-write this story with momentum stemming from the Government of Canada and the World University Service of Canada. It is an intervention that not only promotes education but also helps prepare the girls for life in a world that has experienced conflict.