Sayf was eight years old when he and his family fled Homs—a city that has faced appalling devastation since the start of the Syrian conflict six years ago.
Just months before the fighting started, Sayf’s parents had purchased him books for his first year of school. They prized education and were excited to send Sayf into first grade.
The week of Sayf’s first day of school, fighting in Homs worsened and, like everyone else in the city, the family hunkered down in their home. Sayf never got to go to school.
Soon, Sayf would find himself leaving behind those unused schoolbooks—along with the rest of the family’s possessions—to cross the border into one of Syria’s neighboring countries.
Upon arriving in their new country, Sayf’s parents immediately enrolled him and his siblings in a local school.
When asked if the children are learning in school, Sayf’s father replies, “No, they are not.” Sayf and his brothers go with other Syrian kids after the local children have finished classes for the day. Attendance is taken, and then they are asked to clean the entire school. An hour and a half later, they are back home.
Nine million Syrians have been displaced since March 2011. Over three million have relocated to the neighboring countries of Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey. These countries are now facing domestic humanitarian emergencies as they struggle to respond to the needs of refugees.
Frank is a Frontiers worker who has lived in one of Syria’s neighboring countries for a decade. These days, Frank spends much of his time serving a growing population of Syrian refugees. In addition to providing humanitarian assistance and skills training, Frank and his colleagues spend hours listening to refugees’ stories and pointing them to the hope of God through Jesus Christ.
“A couple refugee kids I know went to school at the beginning of the year,” Frank says. “The teachers kept telling them that they would get their books—they just needed to wait. They never got books. The local kids got books, but there were limited resources for the Syrian students.”
Not only are Syrian children missing out on education in local classrooms. They also experience bullying as they go to and from school. In order to avoid the mistreatment, many of them simply opt out of school altogether.
“The government tries to offer free education,” Frank explains, “but only 40% of Syrian refugee children actually go to school. We’re losing a whole generation.”
The opportunity for impact is great—perhaps greater than any other opportunity we have yet seen in the Middle East. Offering Syrian refugee children a real education prepares them for future success, while also reducing their risk of being recruited toward extremist agendas.
“People are more easily recruited [by extremists],” Frank notes, “when they are left without education or real hope. How do we solve that? If we don’t offer them an education and a hope for the future, they will make ripe material for ISIS.”
“We work closely with the local community. We’ve offered assistance to over 50,000 refugees, providing them with mattresses, blankets, cooking stoves, diapers, clothing, school supplies, and food. People have given generously towards these efforts.”
“But simply put, the great need is for more workers,” Frank says. In particular, Frank and his team need workers to help teach English, computer courses, and other marketable skills. It’s an unprecedented opportunity to tangibly love Syrians by helping equip them toward future productivity.
Even more exciting is the extraordinary openness to the Gospel that Frank and other workers are witnessing among Syrian refugees.
“Despite all the horrific things that Syrians have experienced,” Frank reports, “we know that hundreds of Syrians are coming to the Lord—maybe even thousands.”
“But we need more workers.”
Could God be calling you to love Syrians?
**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**
Original article: FrontiersUSA.org/blog/article/educating-a-lost-generation-a-syrian-refugee-update