Mahmoud and his younger sister Khelwah study their schoolbooks together in preparation for the next day. ©UNHCR/Hamzeh Almomani
As he walks to school each morning, Mahmoud recalls a different path his life could have taken. One where he worked in construction, rather than prioritizing his education.
Now 16 years old, Mahmoud arrived to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq when he was a baby after his family fled Syria in 2019. While his father worked tirelessly to provide for the family, their stability was shattered when he was diagnosed with cancer. By 2022, after years of battling the illness, Mahmoud’s father passed away, leaving the family in financial crisis and forcing Mahmoud to drop out of school.
“Mahmoud had to switch his role at a young age from being the big brother to becoming one of the pillars to support the family,” says his mother, Dilshan. “It was unfair for his age.”
For the past two years, Mahmoud worked as a daily worker on construction sites enduring long and exhausting days to help his family survive. “The work was hard, but I always thought of my family,” Mahmoud says.
Earlier this year, however, UNHCR stepped in to support. Mahmoud was identified as a dropout through outreach efforts conducted in the town where he lives by UNHCR’s partner, Save the Children Kurdistan, who spoke to his family to emphasize the importance of education.
One of Mahmoud’s biggest worries about returning to school was how much he had fallen behind his classmates during his time outside the classroom. However, catch-up classes and educational support provided by UNHCR’s partner, Intersos, gave him the tools he needed to bridge the gap. With their help, Mahmoud successfully passed his 8th-grade exams and was able to re-enroll in 9th grade without losing a year of progress.
“They restored my faith in education,” Mahmoud shares. “My friends and teachers welcomed me with warm smiles, and I knew this was where I belonged.”
Mahmoud studies his schoolbooks in preparation for the next day. ©UNHCR/Hamzeh Almomani
Such educational support is key to protect children with heightened risk. Through funding from donors like France, UNHCR and partners have supported more than 18,000 refugee children in 2024 with similar programmes to enhance access to education and protect children with psychosocial support, parenting classes and awareness-raising activities on the importance of education.
Nourhan, a 9-year-old refugee, is another such example. Originally from Syria, Nourhan’s family fled to Kurdistan in 2013. When they moved houses, the nearest school was too far, and they couldn’t afford transportation. This meant Nourhan had to miss the first semester of 2nd grade—a heartbreaking moment for the little girl who loved school more than anything.
“When my friends asked why I wasn’t coming to school, it was so sad,” Nourhan says. “School is my favourite place in the world.”
Nourhan is back to school and studies her schoolbooks at home with her brother Ali. ©UNHCR/Hamzeh Almomani
In partnership with the Ministry of Education, however, UNHCR’s partner Intersos worked to find a solution for Nourhan to attend a school closer to home, meaning that she could resume her education without the burden of transportation costs.
For Nourhan, getting back to school meant reuniting with her best friend, Leia, and resuming her favourite subject, math. She now dreams of becoming a doctor.
Both Mahmoud’s and Nourhan’s families now feel a renewed sense of hope. Mahmoud, who dreams of becoming a lawyer, is determined to set an example for his younger siblings. “School is not just a place—it’s my future,” he says.
Nourhan’s mother, Um Ali, shares a similar feeling. “The only place for my children to have a future is school. Watching Nourhan happy and learning makes me believe in better days ahead.”
Lilly Carlisle contributed reporting to this story.
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