Télécoms Sans Frontières is increasing its support to the Syrian people by intervening directly among refugee children on the borders of Turkey.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that about 3 million civilians have been displaced inside Syria, and that more than one million have fled the war and are sheltered in camps in neighbouring countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. More than half are children with a majority under the age of 11. These children have been traumatised by the war that has been raging for more than 2 years.
TSF educational centre within the Syrian camp of Al Salama
Aysha, 15 years old, from Aleppo
“I arrived at the Al Salama refugee camp five months ago with my family. Our house was completely destroyed so we had no choice but to come to this camp. The internet access here is essential to me as it allows me to communicate with other children my age outside the camp where sometimes, I feel like I am a prisoner. I love learning new things, especially French and science. The applications on the tablets make learning far easier – they are significantly easier to use than computers. This centre has really changed my life. Since I have been a student here, I feel special. All of a sudden, there is a light in my life that was not there before, and despite my sadness and sorrow, I am so happy to take part in these classes.”
Aysha is among the 250 children first to attend the educational centre equipped with tablets in Al Salama camp at the Turkish-Syrian border. Like them, each day 56 pupils get to know the newest technologies thanks to TSF. Tablets are playful, dynamic and intuitive and offer a more informal way of learning, enabling pupils to interact with their classmates. They can also stay connected with the outside of the world, beyond the camp area, which is constantly changing.
These Syrian children paid a huge price to the conflict which is pulling their country apart. Most of them are isolated from the outside world and traumatised by the tragedy they’ve been through. But in Al Salama, they now rush every morning to the tent housing the education centre. They are so eager to learn. It wipes from their mind some of the dreadful images of the war – at least for a short while - and gives them hope for a better future.
Internet centre for Syrian children
The second centre is in Gaziantep, Turkey, inside the so-called ‘School of Friendship’ established by the town council for Syrian child refugees. Since TSF have installed the centre, more than 660 people have been able to benefit from it. ICT and internet lessons have been integrated into the school’s curriculum, allowing the pupils to get used to the different software.
One of the aims of these two centres is to allow the refugee children to communicate together, from one camp to another. Thanks to TSF’s actions and the ICT they have provided, these children, separated by international frontiers, are now able to communicate and share their experiences of the conflict they have suffered.
Through learning with exciting and dynamic educational material, the centres set up by TSF give these young refugees a sense of freedom in a world where they find themselves isolated and traumatised by the horror of war.