Firefly educates war affected Syrian children.  Early in 2016, Firefly started working with Syrian refugee teachers in creating an education centre in Antakya, Turkey where many families had fled civil war.  In February 2023 Antakya was devastated by an earthquake and the city has been largely evacuated. A new centre has been set up on the edge of the city, close to where most Syrian families are now living, in temporary accommodation. The Firefly team in Antakya manages teaching in both southern Turkey and in the Turkish safe zone in northern Syria.

Firefly’s education offers a replacement for lost learning due to repeated displacement caused first by civil war and then by earthquake.

Over a year has passed since the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria in February 2023, causing massive loss of life, destruction and heartbreak for the children Firefly teaches and their families.  Firefly continues to rise above this appalling tragedy and to develop its educational services.  The surviving children, who have suffered so much, deserve no less.

Since the earthquake Firefly has been re-establishing it’s activities. This has involved extensive psycho-social support for staff and children, developing learning resources and adapting the curriculum to meet a new set of needs. Staff training is ongoing in both southern Turkey and northern Syria where Firefly has been working in close collaboration with the Turkish Red Crescent.