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A young Maltese-Syrian is planning to return to Lebanese refugee camps to build a school for war-stricken children for whom education is the silver lining in a bleak future. When Zarifa Dag travelled to Bekaa Valley with a group of Maltese volunteers, she expYoung Maltese-Syrian heads for refugee camps to build a school
A young Maltese-Syrian is planning to return to Lebanese refugee camps to build a school for war-stricken children for whom education is the silver lining in a bleak future. When Zarifa Dag travelled to Bekaa Valley with a group of Maltese volunteers, she experienced first-hand what it means to share a classroom with 45 students. Resources at the seven schools that they visited were stretched beyond their limit, with classes held in the morning for Lebanese students and in the afternoon for Syrian refugees aged seven to 18. The 20-year-old was struck by the willpower of the youngest students, who despite not knowing a world without war and living a life on the run or in camps, turned up to class brimming with energy. Ms Dag knows too well how much of a priority education is for Syrians. Born in Malta to a Maltese mother and Syrian father, she often travelled to her second home before the war broke out. Only two of her relatives have survived the Syrian civil war, which has been devastating lives for nearly eight years. According to the UNHCR, over 5.6 million people have fled Syria since 2011, seeking safety in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan among others. Another 6.6 million have... Read more