Restoring Safe, Positive, and Inclusive Learning Spaces

After more than a decade of conflict and economic crisis, schools in Syria remain in urgent need of support. 7,000 schools have been damaged or destroyed, leaving children to study in overcrowded classrooms, unsafe buildings, or even makeshift spaces like warehouses.

At SARD, we are working to rehabilitate schools and expand access to education for children across Syria.

SARD Engineer directs repairs at the Haj Iksander School, rehabilitated with support from the Syria Cross-Border Humanitarian Fund.

Our Approach to School Rehabilitation

We know that repairing a school is not only about fixing walls and roofs. It’s about creating spaces where children are safe, included, and inspired to learn. That’s why our school rehabilitation process is built around three core components:

1. Ensuring Safety and Access to Basic Services

We prioritize children’s safety and health by addressing critical issues that make schools unsafe or unfit for learning:

• Repairing cracks, damaged walls, and unstable structures.

• Repairing and/or replacing damaged doors and windows.

• Fixing leaking roofs and addressing water damage.

• Removing and preventing mold.

• Installing gates, fences, and courtyards for child protection.

• Upgrading WASH facilities to meet standards.

• Restoring and maintaining electricity to keep classrooms well-lit.

• Repairing and rehabilitating water fountains to ensure safe drinking water.

Teachers welcome students to their school day in a newly restored courtyard, now safely protected by a fence along the steep hillside. Upper Diwan School, rehabilitated with support from the Syria Cross-Border Humanitarian Fund.

2. Accessibility for All

No child should be excluded from education because of a disability. We make schools accessible by:

• Installing wheelchair-accessible ramps.

• Building or adapting bathrooms to be disability-friendly.

A wheelchair accessible ramp leads to a bathroom at the Qorbe School, rehabilitated with support from Solidar Suisse.

3. Creating Positive Learning Environments

Children learn best in spaces that are positive and uplifting. That’s why we:

• Brighten hallways and classrooms with colorful paint and murals.

• Use child-friendly designs to create welcoming spaces.

Children walk through their newly rehabilitated hallway at the Dabeq Kindergarten, thanks to the support from Aid for Syria Fund.

Why This Work Matters

Every school we rehabilitate does more than provide education—it helps protect children from risks like child labor and early marriage, restores a sense of normalcy after years of disruption, and supports the long-term recovery of entire communities.

By the end of this year, we will have rehabilitated nine schools in 2025, with six already completed and three currently underway. This effort has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Solidar Suisse, the Syria Cross-Border Humanitarian Fund, and Catholic Relief Services. Together, we are helping thousands of children regain access to safe, inclusive, and welcoming schools.

Are you interested in partnering with us to rehabilitate schools in Syria? Contact us at 📩 info@sardngo.org to learn more or donate today.

Thank you!