How Amal was Brought Back to School in Rural Syria

Written by Zaher Jaber

Six years ago, Samia's family in northwest Syria were displaced from their home due to a crisis in their area. They ended up in a camp that lacked even the most basic services; her seven-year-old daughter Amal* had to put a pause on her education.

Samia remembers Amal, who is in the first grade, asking, “Mama, why can’t I go to school like the other girls?” The only answer she could give was a long, silent hug.

In conflict-affected countries, education is often one of the first casualties of war. According to UNICEF, over 43 million children worldwide are currently out of school due to crises, with those in conflict zones twice as likely to never return. In Syria alone, more than 2.4 million children have lost access to education, their dreams suspended, their future uncertain.

After two long years with no school, that harsh reality came to an end when the first and only educational tent opened in the camp, based in northwest Syria thanks to the WVSR Secure Education project.

“When Amal walked in to the tent for the first time, her steps were full of excitement, as if  it was a holiday celebration. From that day, she never missed a class. She came home every afternoon, carrying her new books, telling me about the games she played and the things she learned.”

In April 2025, Samia’s* family was finally able to return to their village. How did they manage this? WVSR's project didn't only take care of education; it also helped the displaced villagers in the camp return home by providing transportation services.

After returning home, the first place Amal* wanted to visit wasn’t her own home, it was the school where she had studied as a little girl.

“I learned my first letters there. I drew on its walls. I cried from joy when I passed my exams”, she recalls.

But when she arrived, Amal's heart sank. The building was silent. Shelling had scarred the walls, burned the desks, and left classrooms covered in black smoke. “It was as if the school was crying,” she says softly.

Thankfully, Amal didn't feel sadness for too long. The once-destroyed school in their area was rehabilitated and started operated again. This is just one of many schools that World Vision implemented over five years in 11 locations across northwest Syria with the Secure Education project. This includes seven mobile teacher sites in camps that have transformed temporary tents into fully equipped, safe, child-friendly classrooms. Now Amal can finally return to her old school with open arms.  

Among its many achievements, the Secure Education project has:

• Rehabilitated and repaired schools, replacing tents with permanent classrooms
• Distributed school bags, stationery, and curricula to children
• Provided heating in winter and monthly incentives to teachers
• Equipped schools with safety, first aid, and teaching materials
• Organised back-to-school campaigns and beautification activities to make schools welcoming
• Delivered high-quality technical training for teachers and staff

Samia smiles as she listens. “The school isn’t fully repaired yet,” she admits, “but it’s enough to give our children a place to dream again. My only wish is that we finish before the next school year — so no child here has to learn in a tent ever again.”

With Secure Education, it’s not just schools that are rebuilt — it’s hope, childhoods, and futures.

*Names have been changed to protect identities