Out of Her Shell, The Power of Education

An ECW-funded programme delivered by Save the Children supports a young Syrian girl to engage, learn and succeed in Iraq

By Education Cannot Wait

October 10^th, 2023

Adapted Story from the Field. Special Contribution by Save the Children Iraq.

Dalia* is a confident, active girl who loves to play with her classmates and take part in class activities.

The same could not have been said about the five-year-old just five months ago.

Dalia was born in a refugee camp in Iraq after her parents and brother fled their home in Syria in 2012. Her father suffers from schizophrenia. Her experience of his condition impacted Dalia, and she lost interest in doing everyday activities. She also developed fears centering on getting hurt by the people around her. As a result, the five-year-old had a hard time engaging with other children, resulting in her social isolation.

With the support of trained, dedicated facilitators at a new Early Childhood Care and Development Centre in her refugee camp – run by Save the Children with funding from Education Cannot Wait (ECW) – Dalia has come out of her shell and is now happier, more engaged and learning!

“I love my teachers at the Early Childhood Care and Development Centre. They are very kind and care about us.” ~Dalia

Dalia at the centre on graduation day in her class. © Save the Children/Iman Mohammed

In 2022, Dalia was enrolled in the Early Childhood Care and Development Centre in her camp. The facilitators at the centre soon noticed that she was withdrawn. Despite social activities like playgroups and drawing, Dalia spent most of her time alone.

“Dalia’s condition has always been one of my biggest worries.” ~Fatima*, Dalia’s mother

With the support of teachers who understood her needs, worked patiently to involve her in activities and encourage her, Dalia gradually began to open up. She has now become more friendly with other children and begun making friends at the centre and at home.

Today, Dalia is more willing to take part in the world around her, express herself, share her opinions and ask for what she wants. Like her teachers, her mom, Fatima, has noticed a positive difference.

“After we enrolled her at the centre, I was observing her progress on a daily basis. She started to talk about her feelings – sharing her daily routines and what she did in kindergarten with other kids. I am very happy to see my daughter happier, being engaged with children in play, having fun and living her childhood.” ~Fatima, Dalia’s mother

Fatima knows that her daughter is in safe hands, and she is happy to also see Dalia learning so much. She says Dalia can now read and write letters, numbers and her name.

As well as lessons at the centre, facilitators also conducted weekly home sessions with Dalia and her family and regularly follow-up with Fatima to check on Dalia’s progress. Fatima has also completed Save the Children’s Emergent Literacy and Math home session, where she was shown how to support her children’s continued learning at home, and received a package of learning materials and toys for the family to use at home.

Dalia’s mother with Early Childhood Care and Development Centre facilitators. © Save the Children/Iman Mohammed

Iraq faces an education crisis due to years of conflict and economic challenges.

ECW’s Multi-Year Resilience Programme in Iraq began in August 2022, and is implemented by Save the Children in coordination with Ministries of Education in Federal Iraq and Kurdistan Region. The programme is ensuring vulnerable, crisis-affected children like Dalia are receiving the support they need to improve their wellbeing and educational outcomes. ECW’s multi-year seed funding of $12.5 million will reach 36,500 of the most vulnerable children and adolescents (60% girls and 10% children with disabilities).

As well as rebuilding schools and promoting access for continuous, inclusive and gender-responsive education services in crisis-affected communities, the programme sets out to restore a sense of safety and social-emotional well-being, train and recruit qualified teachers, and strengthen the capacity of both community-based and institutional school governance systems in the country.

A Save the Children facilitator leads a discussion with children and their caregivers at a learning centre – encouraging them to actively engage in the learning process. © Save the Children Iraq

Through the programme in Iraq, Save the Children works to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable conflict-affected children to increase access to safe, inclusive and quality education. Fully-funded, the ECW-financed multi-year programme would reach nearly 200,000 crisis-affected children and youth – like Dalia – to access inclusive quality education and support their wellbeing and learning outcomes.

Dalia now loves going to the centre and even asks her parents to take her to class during weekends and holidays. She’s not alone; learning centres like these are lifelines for girls and boys in refugee camps and other crisis contexts.

ECW calls on donors, the private sector, philanthropic foundations and national and international partners to step up and fully fund this multi-year programme – and education for the 224 million crisis-affected children around the world in urgent need of support today.

Young girl works on a colorful card in an ECW-supported learning centre. © Save the Children Iraq

*names changed to protect identity

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