Zaad Alkhaier, a 20 years old Syrian refugee lady in Zaatari Camp, Jordan shares how she dropped out of school, but bounced back even stronger.
Zaad Alkhaier, a 20 year-old Syrian refugee, reminisces on her school days before he dream crashed.
“I still remember the first day we arrived at Zaatari camp in 2012; it was like a nightmare. I was a ten year old girl who was very scared of the bombing, shooting, and the whole journey to find a safe place.
When my family decided to escape to Jordan, I thought it would only be for a few days; so I brought my books and pencils since I didn’t want to stop studying.
The few days turned into years.
We could have never imagined such a life in Syria, as we moved from having a normal life to living in tents surrounded by strangers.
Every day we faced challenges in securing enough food. The choices were limited, we used to eat the same dishes – bulgur, lentils, rice, and some canned food.
I was shocked to see schools held in tents. This led me to drop out of school, and it was the worst thing that happened to me to see all my dreams and hopes run away.
Zaad Alkhaier, a 20 years old Syrian refugee in Zaatari Camp, Jordan.
As life progressed and things improved in the camp, I decided to return to school two years later. So I worked hard despite the many challenges I faced, like not having electricity all the time, living in a shared shelter with my family, and having poor internet.
Nothing can stop me! My dream was to study medicine when I was a child, but now after what we went through, my dream has changed to study translation so that I can tell my story, and the story of Syrian refugees, to the world.
I don’t want to live here for the rest of my life. I want to live like anyone else in the world; a citizen with rights and a home, not a refugee. This tragedy has lasted long enough.
When you read about Zaatari camp, please think of people like me, we are not just numbers but human beings. People who are looking for a better future, education, and life.”
Zaad’s story captured by: Farah Al-Sadi, in Zaatari Camp, Jordan
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