Somaya’s Story: Children Who Love School

Somaya Khader is a mother of three. She came to Egypt from Gaza, and this is her story, in her own words.

When we left Gaza and came to Egypt, we came as a family on our own. We don’t have any relatives here, and my children had few chances to go out, meet other children, or make friends.

My daughter, Ram, was five years old when we left Gaza. She missed important foundational years of her education, so we tried to keep her learning online. But it was hard. She wasn’t engaged, and I couldn’t see any real progress. Learning at home through a screen is very different from being in a real classroom.

When Ram joined FAJR Global’s Education Program, I began to see a huge difference. She became more engaged and started making real progress in her learning.

But what the center gave my children went far beyond education. They found other children like them, children who share their culture, traditions, and experiences. They made friends and finally had a place to learn, connect, and feel part of a community.

That meant even more to us. Because we have no relatives in Egypt, school became one of the few places where my children could leave the house, meet others, and spend time with friends.

I can see how much it means to them in the way they get ready for school. They get ready as if they’re going to a celebration. They know they’re going somewhere that makes them happy. They learn, they see their friends, and they love being there.

Online learning could give them lessons, but it could never give them this.

The center gave my children a real place to learn, true friendships, and somewhere they look forward to going every day. As their mother, seeing them learning and happy at the same time has made a real difference for our whole family.

Read about the School for Palestinian Children in Cairo and the Egypt Schools Project.