First Week of School!
We’ve just wrapped up the first week of school in Syria!
It’s been an uplifting start to the year, as three schools rehabilitated by SARD opened their doors to welcome thousands of children. After months of pushing to finish the schools in time and recent late nights, it was all worth it to finally see everyone, children and adults alike, celebrating their new schools and the start of a new chapter.
These three recent schools join six others rehabilitated this year, for a total of nine safe, welcoming, and inclusive schools rehabilitated by SARD in 2025, thanks to the support of the Syria Cross-border Fund, Solidar Suisse, and Catholic Relief Services.
Thank you to everyone who participated in making these rehabilitations possible and transforming children’s lives and futures!
Khalil Najaar Elementary School in Kafr Amma
At the beginning of this week in Kafr Amma, the village hosted a grand opening of their newly restored school and invited SARD to join the celebration. We first told you about the village in the countryside of Aleppo this past spring: after years of displacement, 300 families returned to find their village destroyed and looted. Their children studied in a cold warehouse separated by hanging sheets because their school had also been severely damaged. The children walked into bright classrooms, repaired and ready for learning! What a difference!
Students, teachers, and the community members gather to celebrate the opening of Khalil Najjar school, September 21, 2025.
The Kafr Halab village also organized a celebration this week to mark the reopening of the school which will serve 1,000 families! After the entire community was displaced in 2019, the school transformation is a monumental milestone in their recovery journey.
SARD Community Liaison and the District Director cut the ribbon to officialy open Kafr Halab School!
Al Rabia Elementary School in Sheikh Ahmed (Before and After)
And we ended this week, with the opening of this gem of a school in Sheikh Ahmed. Another village in the countryside of Aleppo which was entirely displaced in 2019. Around 100 families have returned and now have a school for their children to start their new chapter in!
We leave you with the children sharing their dreams for their future. With safe and positive classrooms to learn in, those dreams feel closer than ever.