Rasha, 23, comes from the Damascus district in Syria. She fled to Lebanon in 2014.
“Our life was beautiful and we were happy in Syria. I was a student in my last year of high school. When the situation deteriorated, we came here. I stayed without studying for about a year. I didn’t know anyone at first – it was very difficult. I even thought sometimes that people were looking at us differently.”
Rasha aspires to make a change and leave a mark in society. “My ambitions are to learn more, and establish my own school. I want to impact society, and not just be a regular person.” She is also a strong believer and supporter of the right of every woman to get an education.
Women have to be educated. Education is very important, and it’s the essence of everything. Women have to impact society just like anyone else, and not be a passerby that came, lived, and died without leaving a mark.
Her father was unable to support her financially so she had to fight hard to get into school. Her efforts paid off. She received a grant and took up studies in nursery education at the SPARK institute in Zeitouneh, Lebanon. “I heard that there was a nursery education department,” she says. “I enjoy getting to know children’s personalities and learning how to take care of them. This degree will also benefit me later on, when I have children of my own.”
After completing her degree, Rasha was offered a job as a teaching assistant. “I was very happy with the news that I’d be working at the same institute I graduated from. It definitely impacted my life positively. I’m an only child. My parents don’t have anyone else to rely on,” she explains.
“This job has improved our financial situation. I also personally benefited from it a lot. My personality is stronger now and I feel better integrated in this society. I did this to move forward in life, but also to achieve some of my dreams and aspirations.”