Al-Qalam 
[Photo Credit - Africa Muslims Agency]
Ten refugee children representing a Lebanon school, set up by the Africa Muslims Agency, visited South Africa to share their traumatic life experiences, writes Azra Hoosen.
“The one thing we appreciated most was that no one treated us like refugees but as normal children.” This is what a group of refugee and orphaned children from Lebanon’s refugee camps said after their tour across South Africa, thanks to the Africa Muslims Agency (AMA) donors, who facilitated their visit.
The 10 refugee children, who were granted the opportunity to study at the Aman School of Excellence in Lebanon through sponsorships from the SA community, visited various institutes throughout South Africa this month to relate their devastating survival stories.
Whilst the children may have been all smiles and laughter as they experienced a sense of temporary normality during their visit to South Africa, their harrowing reality back home is a life of trauma, hardship, deprivation and extreme poverty.
The Lebanon refugee camps are home to approximately 2 million Syrian and Palestinian refugees, who fled their countries in hope of living in a safer environment, however, the living conditions in the refugee camps are dismally below humanitarian standards, with lack of access to food, safety, healthcare, proper sanitation, transport and education.
Fortunate families are sheltered by undignified makeshift tents through freezing winters and scorching hot summers and live in fear as their women and children are vulnerable to violence, abuse and a host of threats.
Hoosain Choonara – Regional Director of AMA, explained that during the freezing winters, mothers – out of desperation – have been known “to burn the clothes off their back to create some kind of heat for their babies to survive.”
“When given a slice of bread, many children only eat half and hide the rest because they know they won’t eat again,” said Choonara.
Gender inequality, poverty and predominantly lack of education are some of the factors that have led to the alarming rise in child marriages. “Young girls are often forced into marriage and are deprived of basic essentials,” he added.
Malak – one of the first students at the Aman School of Excellence – has her heart set on breaking the cycle of child marriages in her camp, “I want to be a humanitarian and help others the same way that I have been helped,” she declared.
Education
Various organisations continue to emphasise the importance of education as it is the best long-term solution to help reintegrate refugee children into society and break them out of the vicious poverty cycle, allowing them the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
Amin Hammoud was merely 5-years-old when he learnt about the brutality of war. He got home one day after school to find his home demolished by a bomb that killed both his parents. Despite his trauma, Amin, now 16-years-old is proud to have been united with a generous couple from Cape Town, whom he regards as his new parents. They helped him to live in a safer environment and to get a good education to achieve his dreams in Lebanon. “I want to be a photographer so I can show the beauty of Syria and show people that there can be some joy in camps,” said Amin.
Due to their refugee status, even children are turned away from hospitals and families cannot afford the unbearably high medical costs. Ritaj was only 3-years-old when she faced a near death experience. She accidentally ingested rat poison while playing in her tent, but through AMA donations, she made a full recovery and is now en route to attaining her aspiration to become a doctor. “I want to help everyone and make them feel better,” said Ritaj.
Lebanese Humanitarian, Jihan Kasi, who accompanied the children to South Africa, said: “Food and shelter is important, but now we are talking about a lost and illiterate generation. If they are not educated, they won’t be able to go back to live in their own countries and rebuild their lives. These children did not know there was life beyond the refugee camps and seeing the world beyond Lebanon was astonishing. The SA community needs to help to provide education to these children. You can sponsor a child’s dream and that helps their whole community.”
The children have since returned to their Lebanon refugee camp this week, carrying with them special memories and gratitude for the generous support from the SA Muslim community.
