Children begging on the streets. Girls dropping out of school to get married. Fathers burning themselves alive for not being able to provide for their families. Growing up in a third-world country, I witnessed all kinds of injustices. Our family of six also struggled financially, so I started working at 14 to support myself. However, I had amazing parents who put our education before anything else and pushed me to be strong and independent, regardless of the sacrifices it took.
I am a firm believer in the power of education and its ability to stop this vicious cycle. Still, I knew I needed not only to sympathize but also take action. So, I started volunteering in my community at only 15. After that, I led a human rights class for underprivileged Lebanese children and Syrian refugees in a camp by LOYAC Lebanon, an NGO that aims to build bridges between the Lebanese and Syrian communities and empower children and women through education.
During the first camp, I experienced a bundle of different emotions. When I asked girls aged 17 and younger about their future, they said they wanted to get married to have a better life! This hit me hard. Not that marriage can’t go with ambitions and dreams later, but it definitely must not come at the expense of education and childhood. If these girls had been given the proper support to realize their potential, they would not have believed marriage is the only option.
Each of these children’s stories touched my heart differently; they are children who lost loved ones, witnessed violence, and dropped out of school fleeing war. Their stolen childhoods can only be restored through education. The determination inside me grew more and more.
I still remember the words of a young girl who approached me on my final day of camp and said, “In the future, I want to become a teacher like you.” It’s amazing how one person can impact so many lives, so I keep asking myself if I could do that on my own, what would happen if the whole world could, too?
I’m currently volunteering in Turkey, sharing my knowledge of the English language with the locals. I feel blessed to be part of the change in their lives and futures. As a human rights activist, UNESCO youth leader, and global citizen, I dream of a world where all children across the globe have access to quality education!