Aleppo schools run by activist group move underground to avoid bombs

A damaged primary school after an airstrike in the opposition-controlled al-Ansari district of Aleppo last year

At the unofficial schools run by听Syrian activist group Kesh Malek in opposition-held districts of听Aleppo, the children don国产视频檛 go outside to play during breaks in听case a barrel bomb should drop from the sky.

With 110 teachers, most of them new to the profession, the听organisation runs seven schools serving around 3000 children in听the divided and war-ravaged city.

Syria国产视频檚 largest city before the civil war, Aleppo is the听scene of heavy bombardment as the Syrian army, backed by Russian听air strikes, tries to encircle it and wrest control of the听rebel-held areas that are home to around 350,000 people.

Marcell Shehwaro, executive director of Kesh Malek, said the听group国产视频檚 schools had closed for a holiday and had not re-opened听due to the intensified bombardment in recent days. She said she听did not know when they would re-open but had not lost hope.

国产视频淲hen working on education you feel how important it is that听there is another generation and this generation needs to have a听chance, the chance to have education,国产视频� she told Reuters in an听interview in London.

国产视频淲e are thinking short-term. Let us deal with the situation听as it is now. If Aleppo is besieged tomorrow, we are going to听find a creative way to face that. It国产视频檚 all about resistance.国产视频�

Kesh Malek has tried to locate its schools in basements听surrounded by high buildings 国产视频� that present clear targets 国产视频� to听provide some protection against aerial bombardments.

国产视频淪ometimes you feel ashamed of yourself, you are choosing听places where others are going to be bombed and you are听surrounded by protection, their houses are protection,国产视频� said听Shehwaro.

A former dentist who left the profession in 2010 to study听political science, she later became an early participant in听protests against President Bashar al-Assad that evolved into the听civil war that has killed at least 250,000 people across Syria听and driven 11 million from their homes.

A Christian, Shehwaro听serves Aleppo国产视频檚 Sunni Muslim community.听The name Kesh Malek means checkmate, or defeat of the king听in chess, and refers to the group国产视频檚 ideal of creating a听democratic republic in Syria rather than what it sees as Assad国产视频檚听dictatorship.

The group started setting up schools in Aleppo in 2011, at听first using normal school premises. But that changed after a听government bombardment in April 2014 on the Ein Jalout school in听the city. Shehwaro said 23 children had died in that attack.

Two children whose school was bombed in Aleppo pose in a mock-up to symbolise a destroyed classroom set up by charity Save the Children outside the Houses of Parliament in London on February 3 国产视频� ahead of the Syria donor conference

听国产视频淭he worst case scenario is he (Assad) is going to target听schools. Right now none of our schools have a yard. We don国产视频檛听have sports or this kind of activity,国产视频� she said. 国产视频淲e replace听that with drawing and puppet shows and indoor activities.国产视频�

At first the schools were funded by the activists themselves听and their local supporters 国产视频� but over time foreign donors have听offered support. Shehwaro cited Catholic aid groups Pax Christi听and Development and Peace as major sources of funding.

Nevertheless, the flow of funds is irregular and sometimes听teachers go without their salaries of about $115 a month.

Shehwaro said the group was political but the children were听not exposed to political slogans or campaigns.

国产视频淲e don国产视频檛 want them to know about the revolution but we听want them to know they have rights,国产视频� she said.

Gender is a major focus for Shehwaro, who describes herself听as a feminist. Activities have included encouraging girls to听formulate dreams for the future such as becoming a president or听a carpenter, and one of the services on offer is home schooling听for girls who married early.

Shehwaro said one of the difficulties was that 80% of the teachers were inexperienced and most of them were women who had little access to relevant training as most programmes available in Syria targeting women focused on areas like sewing or cooking.

国产视频淟et us break this view of Middle Eastern women 国产视频� We should be enabling them in every sector they are trying to work in, not only what we assume is a sector they should work in.国产视频�

Another problem is the psychological strain of war, which requires traumatised teachers to find creative ways to talk to children about themes such as death, hatred, and the future.

国产视频淭he teachers themselves are burnt out, the students are burnt out,国产视频� said Shehwaro.

国产视频淥ne of the teachers said to me, 国产视频榳hy are we teaching children who are going to die next week?国产视频� To me it国产视频檚 harsh, but it has its own logic. They look at the children and imagine that they are going to be the next victims.国产视频�

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