“As the international community, we all agree that access to quality education is a basic human right for each and every child regardless of where he or she lives or comes from.” – Keiko Miwa
Gul is an Afghan refugee struggling to care for her family after the Taliban takeover. She has three daughters, two sons, and a blind husband who cannot work because of his condition. Six mouths count on her to put food on the table each night — seven if she includes herself.
She washes clothes from dawn until dusk but earns less than a dollar a day. With the cost of food and other basic essentials increasing worldwide, it’s nowhere near enough. So Gul depends on her young son, Zabiullah, to bring in extra income.
“Zabiullah is 10 years old and working on the wheelbarrow. He is earning around 30 AFN in a day,” Gul said. “He cannot go to school because he works during the day.”
Sadly, 30 AFN is the equivalent of just 34 cents. And unfortunately, Zabiullah’s plight isn’t unique. Many other refugee children like him have been out of school for a long time, sacrificing their education to help provide for their families.
Refugee children in the Middle East are waiting for someone like YOU to provide them with help and hope
As of 2019, over 3.7 million refugee children were not attending school. You can imagine how many more children are out of school now because of the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Even the refugee children that do receive an education aren’t getting the full classroom experience. They might be able to stop in for a lesson or two, but many need to work to support their families — just like Zabiullah. It’s a sacrifice children should never have to make, but it’s the only way to avoid starvation for struggling families.
Some host countries have established education systems for refugee children, but they’re largely viewed as temporary. With no permanent solution, there are often large gaps in the curriculum.
Education isn’t always seen as a major concern because many assume refugees will safely return to their home counties — and a normal life — relatively quickly. But sadly, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
A 2019 study showed that “4 out of 5 refugees are in prolonged distress situations, and 5.8 million refugees have been displaced for 20 years or more.”
Meeting the most basic needs of refugee children will give them the opportunity to go to school
Living in this constant state of uncertainty has created instability for families — especially children. When basic necessities like food, water, clothing, and shelter are so scarce, things like education are hardly seen as a priority.
But you can change the life of a refugee by providing them with the help and hope they so desperately need.
When you give $35, you’ll provide a week’s worth of emergency food, clean water, and other lifesaving aid to one displaced person in Afghanistan or another high-conflict area.
With their basic needs met, refugee children like Zabiullah have a chance to return to school. And mothers like Gul can rest easy knowing their families have what they need to survive.
It only takes $35 to provide one refugee with the emergency supplies they desperately need. So please give as generously as you can today.