Ali's story
I like to come here, because I got a lot of new friends and I am away from work, while also learning new things that I have never known before.
The Syrian child Ali
knows what it means to make a living. At six, he had to start working to
provide for his family. He only learned what it meant to go to school when he
was 12 years old. He got this experience when he enrolled in an educational,
preparatory program through ADRA. He loved the school, and today he attends a
real school.
Ali, now 13 years old
and living in the eastern part of Aleppo, has had a childhood that few outside
Syria could imagine. There were no first school day with a newly bought school
bag and a mum and dad holding his hand. There were no school trips or leisure
activities to look forward to, when homework was overwhelming.
When Ali turned six,
he was hired as a delivery boy by a shoe shop owner. It was clear to everyone,
that he was not fit for the job, because of his small stature. Every day, he
struggled with the weight of the boxes.
When work began to
take a toll on Ali’s health he instead became a shoemaker apprentice and the
next couple of years, school was not a possibility.
Hidden talents
When ADRA, with funds
from DANIDA and ECHO (EU Humanitarian office), began their educational
programme for children without a connection to a school, Ali was one of the
children who joined. The courses with preparatory education was in the
afternoon, when the participants had finished their jobs.
Ali had the
opportunity to learn the basics of Arabic, English, math and science, and he
loved the atmosphere at school.
“I like to come here,
because I got a lot of new friends and I am away from work, while also learning
new things, which I have never known before” Ali once told a ADRA worker.
The child also
received individual support from one of the advisers, who contacted his father
about the boy’s education.
The father
participated in a parent/teacher meeting, where the teacher explained to him
how much Ali had improved in school and how eager he was to learn more.
An exemplary student
The turning point in
Ali’s life came last year, Ali’s father enrolled him in a regular school. When
the school year began in September, the boy showed up at the Al Mutasam School,
where he through a test had qualified for level three, two levels above his
level, when he began the preparatory programme.
“Ali is an
extraordinary student. He always does his homework and his behaviour is
exemplary. I am very proud of him” said one of his teachers.
It has been two years
since Ali had his first school day in a regular school. Schools in Aleppo were
closed due to Covid-19 during most of this time, but they are due to re-open in
September 2021, and Ali is looking forward to seeing his friends.
“ADRA’s help changed
my life. I will continue my studies and perhaps begin at university, who knows?”
This article was
written by ADRA. The Foreign Ministry of Denmark is not responsible for the
contents of the article.