The Back to Learning Campaign Builds a Brighter Future for the Children

Erbil, Iraq, 15 February 2024 – Ruzhda is a 14-year-old Syrian refugee girl who has fled Syria with her family and settled in Qushtapa refugee camp in Erbil, Iraq, 10 years ago. She was only two years old when she was displaced and has spent most of her life in the camp.

Ruzhda attended school until last year in Grade 4 when she started struggling and feeling overwhelmed with learning, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic which prevented her and her fellow classmates from attending school. Ruzhda felt it was challenging for her to learn and proceed with her education in such circumstances. As a result, she dropped out of school.

“I used to attend school and I had many friends. After I dropped out of school, I felt that my dreams were shattered,” Ruzhda says.

UNICEF’s Back-to-Learning Campaign through the General Directorate of Education (DoE) in Erbil provides children with a second chance to continue their education

In the new academic year 2023-2024, the DoE team visited Ruzhda and her mother. They collected detailed information on her educational status and guided them through the process of returning to school. Ruzhda agreed immediately. The DoE team supported her with the re-enrollment process.

Ruzhda prepared her bag and uniform the night before out of excitement.

“I felt like I was reborn. The path to a brighter future is open for me now,” Ruzhda says. “I still remember the first day I returned to school, the first walk from the house to the school, and the first class which was the English language. It is all in my head like a dream come true,” she adds.

On the first day back, Ruzhda walked to school, feeling excitement and joy.

“I was very happy to return to my school, see my friends, study my favorite subjects and interact with my teachers,” she says.

Ruzhda was determined to never interrupt her studies again and to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor to help others. She is now a committed student who studies hard and loves learning.

“UNICEF and the Directorate of Education are implementing the Back-to-Learning campaign every year to ensure that children like Ruzhda continue their education, live their childhood, and fulfill their dreams,” says Mr. Sardar, the school principal in Qushtapa refugee camp.

Ruzhda now looks forward to going to school every day and is grateful for the opportunity to fulfill her aspirations. She is determined to make the most of her education and to build a brighter future for herself.

With funding from the Government of Germany through KfW Development Bank, UNICEF and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Education implemented the Back-to-Learning campaign in 2023 identifying more than 35,000 out-of-school children and successfully re-enrolling over 12,000 children, including refugees, in the formal education system.