By Mohammed Zaatari
SIDON: Palestinian children learned to join forces in order to promote education during a rally-paper competition held at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp Friday.
The competition included solving riddles and playing educational games to raise awareness of the importance of education and combating illiteracy among Palestinian refugees.
The event was organized by the Solidarity Association for Social and Cultural Development, as part of a Danish Refugee Council initiative.
About 150 children took part in the event at the Ain al-Hilweh camp in the southern coastal city of Sidon. The competition started at 9 am and lasted throughout the day, with children collecting information in order to move from step to step and reach the final victory.
They had stops at eight social centers and several commercial shops, and were asked to answer cultural questions to pass from level to level.
“The more I learn, the more I’m confident in myself,” said Hassan al-Zarif, a child participating in the competition with a number of his friends.
“Pursuing an education builds character … If I have an education I won’t get depressed in the future,” he added.
Solidarity Association’s director in Ain al-Hilweh, Ibtisam Abou Salem, explained the goals of the rally paper, which was dubbed “Let’s Learn by Actions and Sharing.”
She said the aim was not just to entertain, but to motivate camp residents to pursue an education, and cut down on school dropouts.
She said the aim was not just to entertain, but to motivate camp residents to pursue an education, and cut down on school dropouts.
“Let Ain al-Hilweh participate in its own educational and cultural development,” she said, noting that the event was a reaction to the drop in education levels inside Ain al-Hilweh and to the increase in illiteracy year after year.
In addition to answering questions, children were asked to color drawings and images of vast spaces outside the camp. “Their hope should be as big as their pain,” Abou Salem said.
The children’s misery over living as refugees in another country was clear in some of their answers to the questions.
When Palestinian child Mariam Moussa was asked about her home country, she answered, “I’m from Palestine and my people are suffering from occupation and misery.”
The rally paper was the first of its kind to be held inside the refugee camp, but won’t be the last to promote education and encourage refugee children to stay in school.
It received very positive reactions from the participating children, their parents and Ain al-Hilweh civil society organizations. A celebration ceremony was held at the end of the day. –Mohammed Zaatari
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