The Backpack Foundation
Help Syrian children get a basic education!
Crisis In Syria
- Syria has been in a civil war since 2011.
- The war started in March 2011, when pro- democracy protests broke out.
- The government used fire on peaceful protesters which made them fight back harder.
- The peaceful protesters turned into armed rebels fighting Syria's authoritarian regime.
- High amounts of violence in Syria have impacted Syrians greatly.
- About 9 million Syrians have fled Syria since the start of the war, taking refuge in other countries including Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan.
- The economy is also suffering. Because of the war, many people struggle to get a real job. More than half of the Syrian population lives in poverty. Many Syrian children are being forced to sacrifice their education and work to help support their families.
- Syrians don’t have steady access to daily necessities including food, water, shelter, and education. The government and the rebels have been blamed for taking part in blocking Syrians access to these essentials.
Syrian Childrens Struggling Education
- Children in Syria are at risk of becoming a "lost generation."
- Because of the conflict, many children and their families have been displaced or have fled to neighboring countries.
- Syrian children are being forced to work to help their family make ends meet.
- Because of the conflict, the only thing these children have on their mind is surviving by staying as safe as possible and being able to have something to eat each day.
- The Syrian children don’t have the time to think about their education, especially since most schools have been shut down and turned into military centers, storage bases, or shelters. The only thing these children have time to do is survive, which in order to do, they have to work long hours. The Syrians also don’t have the resources to educate the children of their country.
- Before the war, about 97 percent of Syrian children attended school. Four years into the war, the rate has drastically fallen to 30 percent.
Syrian Children Working. Help These Children Get the Education They Deserve.
Why is this a Critical Issue?
- The children in Syria are Syria’s next generation of government leaders, teachers, lawyers, doctors, etc.
- It is essential that Syrian children are educated because they need to be able to carry out these jobs successfully in the future.
- Educated people are important to the growth of the nation because Syria needs educated, sensible, and powerful people to help lead them out of chaos.
- Syrian children are being exposed to violence every day. They think it is “normal” to act and treat others this way.
- They have to spend their time working and begging on the streets in order to survive.
- If Syrian children are not being educated, they will continue to lead their country the same ineffective and unjust way it has been lead for years now, which will result in more chaos.
- If Syrian children are educated, they can help their nation grow in the future and hopefully enter a better period of time.
How To Help
What the backpack will include:
- Pencils, pens, and crayons
- Dry erase board and marker
- Workbook (grades k-8)
- Notebook
- Every day life skills book
- Seeds for gardening
Everything in this backpack will help Syrian children reduce the obstacles they have to live under and give them a chance and the resources to get a basic education. The backpacks will be delivered by our volunteers.
Ways to help:
- Buy a backpack. Donating 25 dollars and giving one Syrian child the backpack could drastically change their life.
- Sponsor a Syrian child. Sponsor a Syrian child who isn't getting a proper education by donating money to their family to help them get enough food, water, etc. This way the child doesn't have to focus on helping their family survive, they can focus on educating themselves properly.
* If you would like to become a volunteer, please contact the Backpack Foundation at: tbf@backpackfounation.com
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What Syrian children feel like right now and what they will feel like with the Backpack Foundations help.
Why is the Backpack Foundation Going to be Successful?
Even this small thing will impact Syria in the future. When it comes time for these children to lead the country, the children would at least have a basic education to help them, and they will remember the people from the Backpack Foundation. Hopefully, they will remember the difference the Backpack Foundation made in their life and want to help make a difference in their country as well. Under the current circumstances of the country, we cannot be one hundred percent certain this will work, but we do know that the Backpack Foundation will help raise awareness about the educational issues in Syria and is a step in the right direction to improve education in Syria.
Why am I Motivated to get Involved?
In Syria, people are exposed to violence everyday. If children are always exposed to violence, forced to work, and never are being educated properly, the leaders that will lead Syria in the future will end up leading the country the same way it is being led now, or even worse. Conflict could eventually spread from Syria to other countries, which may result in a world war. World peace is important because when the world is peaceful, nations are not in war. Countries can concentrate on other things besides politics. Peace gives nations a chance to thrive.
Sources
1. Ackerman, Xanthe. "Responding to Syria’s Education Crisis: Critical Points for the International Community." Brookings. Brookings, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.
2. Brandenburg, Rachel. "Syrian Children's Future Jeopardized in Education Too." United States Institute of Peace. United States Institute of Peace, 30 July 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.
3. Brown, Gordon. "Gordon Brown: It's Time to Fund Education for Syrian Refugee Children - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
4. IRINnews. "LEBANON-SYRIA: No School Today - Why Syrian Refugee Children Miss out on Education." IRINnews. IRINnews, 2015. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.
Images
2. Hamwi, Lens Y. Child Labor on the Rise in Hama, Syria. Digital image.Demotix. Demotix, 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
3. Save the Children. Save the Children. Digital image. Save the Children. Save the Children, 2015. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
4. UN News Centre. Syrian Conflict Hits Tragic Milestone: One Million Children Now Refugees, UN Agencies Say. Digital image. UN News Centre. UN News Centre, 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
5. UNICEF. How Can You Help? Digital image. UNICEF'S Next Generation. UNICEF'S Next Generation, 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
6. UNICEF. How Can You Help? Digital image. UNICEF'S Next Generation. UNICEF'S Next Generation, 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.