Behind the inspiring minds of Azraq camp

“I've always wanted to find a place that would help me be of greater benefit to my community."

“World Vision allowed me to unleash my creativity in a useful way,”  say changemakers from Azraq camp, participants of Road to Resilience initiatives.

Amidst the beige sands of Azraq camp, the vibrant Road to Resilience project stands not just as a project but as a space for learning, healing, and growth. This is the story of two powerful ladies who proved that dreams are woven by the hands of those who dare.

Between the caravans of the camp, over 300 kindergarten children gather at the Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC), where they learn English, Arabic and life skills through the equipped team of 28 teachers.

But this time around, it’s not only the children who are participating and innovating, caregivers are more than welcomed. Samira*, a mother of three from Syria, is one of these parents. 

Like so many parents in the camp, she grew frustrated after seeing her children struggle with traditional education methods, which often left them disengaged. This left her thinking about ways she could help shift that reality. 

Simultaneously, at World Vision Syria Response, similar engaging learning activities were being implemented. Caregivers are invited to create their own community initiatives as part of the project, putting faith in the strong impact it can hold on the community. And Samira saw this as a golden opportunity to unleash her creativity.

Through the meeting, she and nine other caregivers came up with a puppet show idea for all the classes in the centre. After comprehensive planning, the determined mothers worked together, step by step, sewing the puppet and building the stage. Through the show, children will have fun and will expand their minds and imagination while learning about various topics and new concepts. “Using just books to educate often falls short, children can’t truly grasp all concepts or remember them without engaging in the process. Puppets can transform that experience, turning education into something they actually enjoy and help them absorb information deeply and effortlessly,” shares 30-year-old Samira. 

As a mother, it wasn’t just about sewing puppets or decorating a stage; it was a way to be directly involved in her daughter’s education. "The puppet show is something new in the camp. It brings excitement not just to the children but to us as parents too. I feel immense happiness and pride knowing I played a part in my daughter’s education. It’s also a meaningful step toward leaving a positive mark on the camp and the children at the ECDC, we consider them all as our own children,” says Samira.

“For my daughter, seeing the puppet show and knowing that her mother created it for her will truly inspire her and make her feel happy. It’s a beautiful gesture from World Vision that brought us closer together as families,” she concludes.

Another centre, another transformation in motion.

Across the camp, 15-year-old Jana*, had big plans despite her young age. After attending many sessions at the Peace Centre dedicated to offering teenagers remedial and protection sessions, she hoped to give more to her community. After World Vision approached her and her 11 other colleagues at the Peace centre, they were tasked with addressing the camp’s most pressing issues and coming up with an innovative initiative to reshape that reality. After much discussion, they decided to focus on solid waste management (SWM),“we understood the dangers of waste and especially on children, and realised the profound impact we could create if we focus on the younger children; if we teach them the importance of waste management, it would greatly reduce the risk and would help adopt sorting and disposal habits as fundamental principles they will carry as they grow up. But it’s not just about keeping the camp clean, it's teaching children to take care of the community and feeling proud of it”, she begins explaining. 

With the help of World Vision’s Solid Waste Management team and after providing the interested participants with comprehensive training sessions, the twelve participating girls launched an awareness campaign to teach children how to sort waste and care for their surroundings.

With every engaging session and activity, as she stood before the children, explaining how to sort waste and reduce water consumption, she saw the children and herself grow together, "I used to be so afraid to speak out, but now, I feel like a role model to these children. It’s such an empowering feeling. She continues by saying, “when the children first came to the centre, they lacked the knowledge and sometimes excitement, but as the sessions began, their whole attitude transformed; they became so attentive and engaging. It was obvious that they were gaining so much knowledge each time”. 

She finally commented on why she thinks the Aktion Deutschland Hilft-funded project is important for the community, “I benefitted a lot from this project; it helped me change for the better. I even formed meaningful bonds with the children and my colleagues. I truly hope such projects expand since they leave an unforgettable mark on all of us”.

Jana’s initiative, much like Samira’s, was more than just an effort to fix a surface problem. The ripple effect of such a project isn’t measured by number of sessions or puppets alone. It is about embedding a sense of responsibility and pride within the community and its members. 

*Names are changed to protect identity

This story has been produced with the financial assistance of Aktion Deutschland Hilft e.V. The contents of this story are the sole responsibility of World Vision Syria Response and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of Aktion Deutschland Hilft e.V.