Orient Net, March 8, 2018— Syrian refugee children Izdihar and Alimar are top students in their Amman school. But their daily commute was not always easy.
Education is free in Jordan, but associated costs of transportation and textbooks added burdens on the girls’ parents, who ran out of savings.
The majority of refugee families live on less than three dollars a day, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
But the extra expenses did not stop the two high school graduates from making sure their daughters get the education they deserve.
Their father, Mohamed, secured a stable job in a factory, enabling the family to relocate to an apartment within walking distance from the school. The family finally managed to pay for much-needed school supplies.
Both parents are proud of their children’s achievements. For their mother, Noura, education is “a weapon for women”.
Early marriages fall by 14 percent when girls finish primary school, but the number drops to 64 percent if they go to high school, the UN refugee agency said.
Despite free education, only 38 percent of refugee children attend school in Jordan which is home to more than 657,000 registered Syrian refugees, according to UNHCR.
