Rima, a Syrian refugee and Community-based Basic Literacy and Numeracy instructor, in her home classroom in Keserwan District, Lebanon, surrounded by her students, who have never attended school. © UNHCR Lebanon
As you step into Rima’s home in the Keserwan District in Lebanon, you are greeted by a woman who exudes strength and warmth. Rima, a Syrian refugee who arrived in Lebanon in 2014 after fleeing Idlib during the bombings, is not just a wife, instructor, and dedicated mother. She is a beacon of hope, a testament to the power of determination.
Her journey in Lebanon has been about more than just survival. It has been about finding her voice, acquiring new skills, and realizing her strength to give back to her community. She believes that when she is stronger, her children are stronger.
Despite having to drop out of school, Rima continued studying at home and applied independently for her official exams, which she passed with flying colors. When speaking about her path, she smiles and says, “I do not like giving up. Purpose gets me out of bed every morning. New goals keep me going.”
Rima’s journey as a community leader began a few years after she fled the war in Syria. In Lebanon, she started volunteering with a Women’s Coalition, dedicating her time to facilitating awareness sessions on early marriage. Her personal experience on the topic gave her a unique perspective, and she became a supportive sounding board for young women. Later, she became a Child Protection Outreach Volunteer, connecting with parents to raise their awareness of the importance of their children’s education and development.
About 14 weeks ago, Rima became a Community-based Basic Literacy and Numeracy instructor, where she welcomes children who have never attended school into her home and, following a meticulously developed curriculum, teaches them Arabic and Mathematics to equip them with foundational skills in literacy and numeracy. With patience and warmth, Rima hosts the children in her home. “This is me. This class is where I belong”, she says, beaming with pride and dedication. “Some of the biggest obstacles to formal education are financial means and the cost of transportation. So, this community-based approach is an alternative and a form of hope for these children. Their parents live nearby and trust me to educate their children twice a week, every week, for an hour and a half”, Rima explains. When asking her students why they attended these classes, they immediately responded: “Ms. Rima. She is the best part of this class. She is patient with us and knows the subjects so well.” Rima then lovingly shares her students’ nicknames, highlighting their qualities and traits.
Despite Rima’s best attempts to give back to her community, the situation remains challenging. With Lebanon facing its worst socio-economic crisis in decades, nine out of 10 Syrian refugees need humanitarian assistance to cover their basic needs. Rima is no exception. She reduces health expenses and makes other difficult decisions to keep her children fed and safe.
In this context, UNHCR’s multi-purpose cash assistance programme is a lifeline for refugees in Lebanon. It helps families meet their basic needs, such as rent, food, and medicine and enables them to contribute to the local economy by purchasing directly from local markets and shops. The monthly cash assistance also gives refugees the dignity of choice in meeting their needs.
Rima uses the multi-purpose cash assistance she receives to get by, either by paying part of her rent or buying medicine when she can afford to, for her son Nabil, who suffers from a growth deficiency.
Rima’s dedication to her children is unwavering. She says, “I continue to dedicate my entire life, being and thinking to my children. I want them to have all the opportunities I didn’t.”
“I dream of becoming a full-time teacher in Syria one day. I would love to teach Arabic, a beautiful and nuanced language deserving to be shared and learned.”
The generous support of the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) to the cash assistance programme enables UNHCR to assist over 11,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugee households in Lebanon. QFFD’s renewed and continued commitment to helping refugees is utterly critical at a time of ever-growing needs and essential to refugee families like Rima’s, who can then live in safety and dignity with her children.
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