“We must not let time pass in an empty way – lost time is never found again”

These times have been particularly challenging for anyone under the age of twenty living in Turkey.

Our children in Turkey are still working from home

Young people have been restricted to their homes for three solid months from March 15th to May 15th.

These homes are often overcrowded with no privacy and basic conditions. Children were not able to leave their homes at all.

Our online learning programmes have provided a lifeline of stimulation for our young learners.

Daily dialogue with their teachers through What’s App learning groups have provided a vital window during this period of isolation.

Classes continue for children in Turkey online this month, we are hoping that children can come to the centre in the near future.

 

Cleaning classrooms in preparation for our workshop in Idlib

In Syria children are attending the centre where we work in Idlib city, classrooms are disinfected daily and social distancing measures are in place.

Classes inside Syria: social distancing and mask-wearing are normal now

The Firefly school in Khirbet Aljouz and the other centres where we work are currently closed but our online learning programme continues.

We are facing new challenges with this month as the total collapse of the Syrian currency has resulted in crippling inflation.

Our families can’t afford to buy wifi so we are currently sourcing a router and solar panels to create a local network in the camp ensuring that learning can continue.

Restrictions  are due to be lifted at the end of June so hopefully that we can open the school for our summer programmes at the beginning of July. This currently looks highly possible.

 

Maria Chambers Project Coordinator:

“I am writing this from old Antakya where I am self-isolating for two weeks to ensure that I didn’t pick up any virus whilst travelling through Istanbul. I am teaching English, currently online, to a group of 17-year-old Syrian students from our center. They wrote about their experience during the last few months their writing summarises the resilience, positivity and ambition that is common amongst the Syrian refugee community here during Covid 19.

Next week I hope to join the staff at our centre and hopefully during the following weeks the younger children will be able to return. We are making preparations for this, in terms of the learning environment and the activities we will do. We are expecting to receive children that have been living in confined, impoverished and stressed environments, we are ready to address needs that have arisen.”