Syrian school teachers share their knowledge
What I found most striking was that even in the most difficult of circumstances it is possible to find glimmers of hope…
I had already spent a few days visiting the refugee camps in and around Sofia, hearing the stories of Syrian refugees when I was approached by a young man who introduced himself as “Mohammed”. After explaining that the aim of my mission was to look at the food security situation, he offered to show me around the camp and explained that he was a school teacher back in Syria and had just started teaching again in the camp. I was curious to understand more and took him up on his request to see the class room. On walking to the make shift school, he explained that he and several other young teachers were fed-up with seeing the children doing nothing and having little to no activities in the camp, so managed to lobby the camp management to give them a room. Not knowing what to expect I was taken into a toasty warm room full of 10-12 year olds learning English. With donations of pens and other teaching materials the class was alive with activity. I was taken back by the level of enthusiasm the kids had for the learning and how the teacher were doing this not for money – but for the chance to give some normality to the children’s lives, as well as prepare them for what might be the next step in their journey to something better. When asked where do you want to move to after Bulgaria there was a unanimous cry of “Germany”!!! What I found most striking was that even in the most difficult of circumstances it is possible to find glimmers of hope and these teachers showed that by doing what they could take children to a place of comfort and hope.
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by Jonathan Brass, Bulgaria
posted: Monday, 16th June, 2014
