Send a Child in Aleppo to School for a Year

First of all, here are some current data about Aleppo, from official sources such as UNICEF, Save the Children and the Red Cross:

• Number of destroyed schools in Aleppo: 700–900
• Number of schools that have resumed operation: 500–650
• Number of children out of school: 70,000–110,000

This picture overlooks that most students receive a very low standard of education, leaving many virtually illiterate. Teachers, who receive an average monthly salary of $20, cannot perform miracles. Functioning schools are lacking basic necessities such as heating. In our super fast digital world, what future is waiting for these students? No books, no computers; how can they catch up with the world after years of war, violence, and poverty?

The answer is one child at a time, one student at a time!

With our local partners, the Blue Marists, we are making sure that as many children as possible can receive quality education, helping them with support lessons and transport and facilitating their learning from school to university.

Maria is a seven-year-old girl in Grade Two. She lives with her family in a very modest home, under difficult economic and social conditions. Her mother, who has endured domestic violence, has continued to show remarkable strength and determination, doing everything possible to protect her children and keep them in school.

For example, for Maria, going to school was never simple. The school was far from home, and the family could not afford transportation fees or a private school bus. As a result, Maria often had to walk with her brother through busy streets, exposed to traffic risks and harsh weather conditions. During periods of intense heat or freezing cold, she frequently missed school because the journey became too difficult and unsafe.

Maria’s family learned about the Educational Support Project through her mother’s participation in one of
the Blue Marists’ programmes. Through this connection, Maria was registered for school transportation
assistance — a support that soon became a turning point in her daily life. With the transportation fees covered, Maria could finally reach school safely and regularly. Her absences decreased, her routine became more stable, and her mother felt reassured knowing that her daughter was no longer walking long distances through unsafe streets.

Today, Maria is happy to take the school bus every day. For her, it is not only a means of transportation; it is also a place where she spends joyful moments with her friends, shares small stories from her day, and feels like any other child going to school with confidence and excitement. The support provided to Maria did more than solve a transportation problem. It removed a daily barrier that stood between her and her education. It helped protect her safety, restore her sense of normal childhood, and give her family renewed hope. For Maria, the school bus has become a moving bridge — carrying her away from hardship and closer to learning, healing, and a brighter future.

Imagine you can send another student like Maria to school; together it is easy!

With gratitude, Olimpia and the Team

Links:

• See your donations at work and get the latest update
• Aleppo's Corner - our blog from Aleppo
• Top 5 reasons to become a monthly donor

For five years, M.'s "classroom" was the reality of war and the struggle to help his injured father. At 12 years old, he feared the door to an education had closed forever.

Because of you, that door just swung wide open.

Thanks to your support, M. is now one of the students enrolled in our Accelerated Learning Program in Aleppo. This specialised curriculum allows children who lost years of schooling to complete two academic years in one.

The First Win: Beyond the Backpack With the initial funds raised, we didn't just buy notebooks. We secured a safe learning space and the specific materials required for this intensive catch-up program. But education in a crisis zone isn't a one-time event; it’s a daily commitment.

The Reality of the "Gap" A child can’t "catch up" in a month. For students like M.—and others like A., who dreams of being a doctor—the biggest threat isn't a lack of talent; it's the uncertainty of next month. If the funding stops, their seat in the classroom disappears.

Become a "Future-Builder". To keep M. and A. in their seats until they graduates, we need sustainable, predictable support.

A monthly donation of €25 ensures a child has a desk, a teacher, and a future every single month.

Your consistency is what turns a "hope" into a "diploma".

Thank you for staying with us.

With gratitude,

The Crete For Life Team

Links:

• See your donations at work and get the last update
• Aleppo's Corner - our blog from Aleppo
• Crete For Life Website