Mohammad

Mohammad

Jordan

Mohammad

Mohammad is a 25-year-old student from Deraa, Syria, who moved to Jordan in 2013.

Since he moved to Jordan, Mohammad has been living in Za’atari, the biggest refugee camp in Jordan. Back in Syria, he was studying to be a teacher. It was very important for Mohammad to be able to make a difference in the camp. “In 2013, when I came to Zaatari camp, the first thing on my mind was how to help the children in the camp. I started voluntary work and helped build the first public library. This initiative made me want to take up the university studies that I could not continue in Syria.”

Education is very important for this young man and his family: “before my father passed away in 2014, he urged me to continue my education,” he says. Thankfully, Mohammad benefitted from a scholarship a few months after he arrived at the camp so he was able to resume his Master’s degree studies. He soon became the first Syrian living in Za’atari to graduate from a Jordanian university and hold a Master’s degree, becoming a role model for the young people living inside and outside the camp.

The feeling you get with this scholarship is like a road that you feared was closed, but now suddenly opens before you.

In March 2018, Mohamad successfully defended his Master’s thesis in education. “I don’t want to stop at the Master’s degree. I plan to continue with a PhD and become a professor. I would like to go as far as I can, academically speaking. I have been fortunate to receive support to finish my education. In the future, I hope that I can help others do the same. Education is the only weapon a person can use to take control of their life.”

© European Union 2020 / Johanna de Tessières

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