(ANS – Damascus) – While steady progress has been made in changing attitudes toward education and raising enrollment numbers during the past 10 years, violence and instability in the Middle East and North Africa is preventing children from getting an education.

According to a joint report released by UNICEF and UNESCO, 2.6 million children are out of school in Syria, both in their homeland and the neighboring countries where they have fled for refuge.

In Syria, Salesian missionaries continue to provide for Syrian youth and families in need at three centres. Each of the three centres is staffed by three Salesian priests and a deacon and have been in operation since well before the start of the war providing educational classes, meeting space and social development and sporting activities to youth and their families. The centres also offer trauma counselling, emergency shelter, nutritious meals and medical referrals to those in need.

“We are carrying on with our regular activities and every Friday, close to 300 boys and girls from elementary school through high school attend classes,” says Father Munir El Rai, Provincial of the Middle East. “The number of young people connecting with Salesian centres in Syria is increasing. One of the reasons is that our youth centre has been relatively safe so far compared to other parish youth centres.”

Despite the ongoing violence, Salesian centres continue to meet the needs of their communities through the distribution of food, economic aid and scholarships to help young people continue with their schooling.

Salesians have been helping Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt since early 2012. Each day they assist between 400 and 800 refugees, many of whom are women and children. At these refugee sites, Salesians provide emergency relief by meeting basic needs and providing shelter, safety and medical assistance. Salesians also offer technical skills training to assist refugee families with finding stable employment in their new host countries.

“Salesians are particularly focused on providing care and support services to urban refugees,” says Neill Holland, program officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “Urban refugees, like those fleeing Syria and other areas, are particularly vulnerable to economic insecurity, subject to long-term unemployment and high costs for basic necessities like shelter and food. What’s more, urban refugees intent on joining host country commerce out of the need to support dependent family members, often despite host country labour laws, are significantly at risk of exploitation and compromising situations.”

Published 22/04/2015