For a generation of Syrian children, their childhood memories are not of classrooms – but of conflict, war and trauma.
Around half of Syrian school-aged children in Lebanon – 187,000 – are out of school. The country hosts the largest number of refugees per capita in the world.
Instead of getting an education, thousands of Syrian children, some as young as six, are working in agriculture, factories, construction and on the streets.
Read also: The plight of Lebanon's working street children |
Instead of getting an education, thousands of Syrian children, some as young as six, are working in agriculture, factories, construction and on the streets |
#ImagineaSchool provides a first-hand account of the challenges Syrian refugees face in their struggle to access education.
"Listening to children's stories and realising the role that education plays in dealing with their plight, was heart-breaking," reveals photographer Alessio Romenzi who was part of the team.
"In the photos, I worked to capture how much going to school means to them – hoping that my work could help them make a simple dream come true,” Romenzi explains.
Globally, education continues to be one of the least funded sectors in humanitarian appeals. In 2015, humanitarian agencies received only 31 percent of their education funding needs, down from 66 percent a decade ago.
“Working with the government, donors and partners, we have managed to get nearly half of Syrian refugee children living in Lebanon into learning. Now it‘s time to reach the other half so that every child gets a chance to get a quality education,” said Chapuisat.