School is over - life goes on | Relief & Reconciliation

Impressions from R&R’s 5th school year in Akkar

A man stands in the burned classroom of the Tell Aabbas camp school after the arson attack, 2018.

The charred wooden roof and walls of the Tell Aabbas classroom after the fire.

Burned wooden wall planks of the classroom, with a children's drawing still hanging.

Children do homework at a table in a tent classroom.

A volunteer helps children with worksheets in a tent classroom.

Children work on worksheets at tables while someone points to the board.

A teacher writes on a whiteboard during an evening lesson for young women.

A volunteer teaches the English alphabet on a flipchart to children seated on a mat.

Two volunteers lead an activity in front of a wall of posters for children sitting on the floor.

Girls write at colourful tables in a library room.

Children draw at wooden desks in a classroom.

Group photo of volunteers and teachers in front of a wooden building.

Last week, we finished the fifth year of school support in the North of Lebanon, next to Syrian border. As in previous years, we offered daily homework help sessions at our Peace Centre in Bkarzla and at the informal camp school in Tell Aabbas throughout the school year. Our Lebanese and Syrian teachers joined forces with our international volunteers to continue the care for the children we serve and not to leave anybody behind. We hope that all our students successfully passed the exams. Besides homework help, we also offered English classes in Bkarzla, Tell Aabbas and two other locations. And with the help of the Tavola Valdese from Italy, we could provide vocational training classes in the field of electricity, plumbing and sowing.

Midst in the school year, in the end of January, we were shocked by the arson attack on the main class room of the Tell Aabbas camp school. Unknown assailants had put the wooden structure on fire. We are fortunate that homework classes could continue in the workshop for our vocational training and that a Spanish NGO started now the reconstruction of the class room. But the incident shows in how vulnerable conditions Syrian refugees in Lebanon are living. Most of those we serve are paralysed by constant fear of arbitrary arrests, as they don’t have any legal residence. Criminal acts like this arson attack are hardly pursued by the authorities and many are exploited on the informal labour market without any guarantee to get paid.

The school year is over, but life goes on. Our vocational training classes are going to continue throughout the summer and our international volunteers are offering catch-up classes and summer activities for preparing the return to school. We need your help to continue our struggle for the future of the Syrian youth. Please support us with a small donation! You can find out how in the Donate Now! section.

Impressions from R&R’s 5th school year in Akkar

Your solidarity keeps the classrooms open.