Teenager Malak arrived in Jordan from Syria two years ago, just another victim of the world’s worst refugee crisis.
Meeting the needs of refugee children is challenging enough. The charity Mercy Corps estimates 40,000 Syrian children face barriers to accessing education.
But for 15-year-old Malak, who was born with dwarfism and severe scoliosis, the obstacles are even greater. Not much more than two feet tall, it is only thanks to Mercy Corps that she is able to get the education that will help her pursue her goal of one day returning to Syria to teach others.
She is supported with regular classes and occupational therapy by Haleema, also a refugee who, before leaving Syria, educated orphans in her own home.
READ MORE: Make a lasting difference by backing The Herald's Christmas Appeal for Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps trained Haleema to provide physical, occupational and speech therapy, and academic training so that she can support students like Malak. An equipment repair workshop, set up in the Zaatari refugee camp, customises kit for students with disabilities, while employing Syrians in a cash-for-work repair scheme. Here, the charity customised a chair for Malak so she was able to sit comfortably in class.
“I hope that we can return back to Syria and the war is over and there will be peace all around Syria,” Malak says. “But if the war will not be over and it will not be safe, I’m hoping I can travel outside the country and learn a new language.”
Mercy Corps is The Herald’s Christmas Charity and by donating to our appeal you can support its life-changing work. More than seven years of conflict have forced more than 11 million people – half of Syria’s entire pre-war population – to flee their homes. Around 10 per cent of those forced from the country have a disability and if services for disabled students in Jordan were limited before the war; now they are almost non-existent.
The Mercy Corps Inclusive Education programme seeks to improve access to education for all students. This year it helped more than 8,000 children with disabilities access formal education in Jordan.
Refugees with skills like carpentry or blacksmithing are employed in the workshop. They repair and customise wheelchairs and desks and repair hearing aids and eyeglasses. This benefits children such as 13-year-old Ahmad, who used to stay home and not go to school. Now, with a personalised wheelchair, Ahmad enjoys going to school. He wants to become a mobile phone technician.
READ MORE: Make a lasting difference by backing The Herald's Christmas Appeal for Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps often works with young people, regarding them as not just a source of hope and determination, but as change-makers who can help communities find a way through crisis, from relief towards recovery and ultimately resilience.
But 83 per cent of refugees lack documentation, making it impossible to even register children for school. Last year Mercy Corps supported registration for 26,500 refugees in Jordan, with the result that the number of children out of primary school dropped by half.
You can ensure such work continues. Please consider donating to the Herald’s Christmas Charity Appeal on behalf of the work of Mercy Corps in Syria, Jordan and many other crisis hit areas of the world. See below for details of how to get involved.
You can join in supporting Mercy Corps Europe through this year's Herald Christmas Appeal, online, by text or by sending a cheque.
How to donate:
ONLINE: www.mercycorps.org.uk/herald
PHONE: 08000 413 060 (24hours) or 0131 662 5161 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
TEXT: To give £10 text DONATE HERALD to 70755
Texts will be charged at the standard network rate plus the £10 donation. By texting you will receive a call back about our work and what you can do to help. Text DONATE HERALD NO to donate £10 and opt out of calls and texts.
BY POST: Please fill in this form Herald Seasonal Appeal Form.pdf and post to: FREEPOST RSAE-ZBYA-LRZH, Mercy Corps, 40 Sciennes, Edinburgh, EH9 1NJ
You can also follow and support Mercy Corps Europe on social media.
Twitter: @mercycorps_uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mercycorpsuk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mercycorps_europe/
Visit www.mercycorps.org.uk/u/text-giving to read full Terms & Conditions.
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