Syrian mothers help to open high school in Iraqi refugee camp

Syrian girls on their first day at high school in Arbat refugee camp Picture: G. Hassan/IRC

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By Zena Itani, International Rescue Committee information and content officer in Jordan

国产视频淥ur girls are sitting at home doing nothing,国产视频� exclaimed Kabira, a Syrian mother of four daughters who now lives in a camp in Iraq. 国产视频淭hey should be in school, so we are planning a demonstration.国产视频�

The women国产视频檚 committee of the Arbat refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was in session.

While Arbat has a primary school to accommodate the camp国产视频檚 1900 Syrian families who have escaped their country国产视频檚 civil war, there was no high school. Some 245,000 Syrians have sought safety in Iraq.

国产视频淭he school administrators say it is out of their hands and they can国产视频檛 find teachers to work in the secondary school,国产视频� added Nadia, another committee member and mother. 国产视频淏ut we will not stop until they do.国产视频�

Residents were excited when a high school was built last year but classes never started. After generously supporting refugee teacher salaries for three years, the Kurdistan Regional Government国产视频檚 capacity to continue to add teachers to the payroll ran out.

So the women国产视频檚 committee, whose mission is to minimise risk of harm to woman and girls and ensure they feel safe in a difficult environment, took action. 国产视频�

Last December, 55 residents marched through the camp with signs delivering a clear message: Open Our Schools.

Students get down to some hard work at the new high school听Picture: G. Hassan/IRC

国产视频淲e protested during the 16 Days of Gender Activism,国产视频� recalls Kabira, referring to an annual campaign to end violence against women and girls worldwide. 国产视频淲e had banners. We talked about child marriage.

国产视频淚t wasn国产视频檛 just the women国产视频檚 committee 国产视频� it was the whole community. Every man, every woman, sent letters and talked to the camp management.国产视频�

Girls who are out of school and stuck at home are at an increased risk of isolation, abuse and early marriage.

国产视频淲e want girls to get high-school certificates and go to university,国产视频� says Maysa, another member, noting that a high school education for girls was standard in Syria before the war.

And it wasn国产视频檛 just the adults in the camp protesting. Twenty students joined the march and other girls wrote and delivered an impassioned letter to the camp administration.

国产视频淲e hope you国产视频檒l hear our demands about our most important right,国产视频� they pleaded, 国产视频渢o complete our education despite what we国产视频檝e gone through and where we are living now.国产视频�

All the work and all the organising paid off.

Younger Syrian Kurdish children walk to school at Arbat camp

On February 14, Syrian girls eager to continue their education walked into a functioning high-school classroom for the first time. The women国产视频檚 committee was trained and started by the International Rescue Committee国产视频檚 women and girls community centre, a private, female-only space at the edge of Arbat camp.

In heated trailers lined with bookshelves, women and girls meet with social workers and participate in counselling, life-skills training, and other activities.

Access to education is just one of a growing number of problems facing camp residents. Food aid is being cut and jobs are scarce. Women complain that daily life is deteriorating.

国产视频淚f people can国产视频檛 find food, they have two choices: they will die in the sea [going to Europe], or they will die here,国产视频� Maysa states bluntly.

Many of Maysa国产视频檚 fellow residents have even returned to warring Syria, leaving behind rows of empty shelters. As governments and armed groups try to maintain a ceasefire in Syria, refugee women are vowing to continue to fight for their families国产视频� futures.

国产视频淭he suffering we face will add value to our girls国产视频� lives,国产视频� says another mother and committee member.

国产视频淓very home is a school for a girl; every mother is a teacher. We will show them how to manage. We won国产视频檛 let our girls go through the same things that we have.国产视频�

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of women featured in the story.

This article originally appeared on the IRC website.

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More than 80 million children around the world have had their education disrupted by emergencies, including conflicts and natural disasters.

You can send a message to leaders meeting at the first ever World Humanitarian Summit in May 国产视频� ensuring they commit to set up a new platform to fund education in emergencies.

国产视频 国产视频� the children国产视频檚 charity behind A World at School 国产视频� has launched the #SafeSchools campaign to keep up public pressure. Please sign the #SafeSchools petition.