What Does A Lost Generation Mean For The Children Of Syria

Photo from left to right: Habib, 16; Mo'ayed, 18 months; Salah, father; Abdul, 10; Isaa, 12; Khaled, 10 days; Mohamed, 14.

By Justin Byworth, Chief Executive, World Vision UK

For Isaa, the crisis in Syria means a life scarred. For Alaa, it means a future stolen. Isaa and Alaa are just two of more than 7 million children who are fast becoming a lost generation as the Syrian conflict enters its fourth year.

Isaa had a gun put to his head by armed men who came into his home when he was just 10. His older brother Habib told us “I was so afraid. I thought we were all going to die. They came into our home, they went through all our things and asked if we had any food.  My grandmother was making bread for our neighbours and they took it from us.”

Isaa’s father Salah described with horror the tipping point that made them flee their home, “they killed our neighbour’s son, he was only 10 or so, they cut him up right in front of his father and then they took out his father’s eyes, before they killed him too. He was disabled, he only had one leg. There is no humanity.”

Alaa (left) would most likely be in a gifted and talented programme if he was at a UK school.

“I had top grades, I wanted to study communications at University. I was in my last two years of school but now I have no chance to finish my education” he told us. “To get registered in school here they told me I must bring my school papers from Syria. How is this possible when my school and house were completely destroyed?

"I told them I could sit an exam to show them, but they said we’ve too many students already. I’ve tried to study by myself at home but I have no access to books, I can’t learn anything.

“I had such hopes for a good future, now these have been destroyed.”

Transforming potential

Syria’s children need protection from violence. They need psychological care and support to recover from traumatic experiences. They need to be able to re-start and complete their education.

This is what the ‘No Lost Generation’ initiative is all about. World Vision is working hand in hand with UNICEF, Save the Children and local communities to ensure that children like Isaa and Alaa have the protection and education they deserve.

The transforming potential that simply providing safe spaces where children and young people can play and learn is powerfully evident in the infectious energy of 40 teenage girls at the youth centre World Vision supports in Zarqa.

Girls from Homs, Damascus and Deraa are engaged in an animated game with their teacher and they confidently talk of their priorities and potential, “We want educational courses,” says Asmaa (right), who at 17 after more than two years out of school may have seen her last days of formal education.

“We want to study, we can’t get registered at a school so we love coming here – we can’t wait until the next day” says 14 year old Fatima. As World Vision provides temporary safe places to learn we are also working with the education systems in Jordan and in Lebanon to get Syrian refugee children like Asmaa and Fatima integrated into local schools.

These ‘child friendly spaces’ can be highly effective in helping younger children normalise after the disruption and violence of war.

Khouzama, a teacher at a centre in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley told me last September, “One five year old girl was so traumatised from seeing one of her family killed that she couldn’t even speak. Her mother said, "She’s stopped talking," but after a few weeks here she started to talk and even smile again.”

One teacher in Zarqa centre is called Amal (left), which means Hope, and this is what she exudes as she injects hope into the children here; she’s determined to teach again after seeing her school in Homs destroyed.

In the face of the threat of scarred lives and stolen futures, this generation of Syria’s children are desperate to hold on to hope, as Asmaa, Fatima and 40 of their friends sang, “Our home is heaven, even though we have been through the fire of hell, our home is heaven and we will return.”

My hope and prayer is that the world is listening to their voices and that it responds, with the actions that each one of us can take to help protect and educate the children of Syria to the politicians and leaders in Syria and internationally who can bring an end to three long years of suffering.

You can help end the suffering of the #ChildrenofSyria

1) Sign our petition calling for an end to the bloodshed and suffering ››
2) Hold a prayer vigil ››
3) Give to the Syria crisis appeal ››

Photo: Mariam, mother; Mo'ayed, 18 months; and Khaled, 10 days old.