Could These Young Victims of War Change Syria’s Future?

LEBANON - With no end in sight for the refugee crisis, it is important to remember the truly innocent victims of war: the children. Hundreds of thousands of refugee children face an uneducated and lonely existence inside refugee camps.

But one Christian group in Lebanon is working to educate these refugee children and minister to them.

'I Want to Learn'

Lebanon lies just across the border from Syria and is home to around 4 million people.

CBN's Abigail Robertson has visited these camps and has witnessed first-hand how the refugee children are being infused with hope by this Christian group. She talks more about what she saw, after this report.

Since the crisis began, more than a million refugees have poured into the country of Lebanon, increasing its total population by 25 percent -- equivalent to the United States taking in 80 million people.

More than 50 percent of these refugees are under the age of 17, children who are forced to leave their homes, families, and education behind.

"They've been moving from one place to another seeing all the suffering and living in tents," Denise Dagher, coordinator of Heart for Lebanon Children at Risk Initiative, said.

Despite initiatives from UNICEF and the United Nations, thousands of these children remain out of school. The lack of education makes these children prime targets for terrorist groups to exploit and recruit.

"I don't want to stay home, I want to learn, because if someone when I grow up talks to me in English or in Arabic, I want to be able to answer," Mohammed, a 12-year-old Syrian refugee, said.

To help address this problem, CBN partner Heart for Lebanon has set up Hope Centers near refugee camps that offer free education taught by Christian teachers. 

Dagher said she sees the Hope Centers making big differences in the children's lives. She said the key is teaching the kids the Bible and providing a secure environment.

"We met kids in the beginning they were aggressive, they were sad, they were mad, they were angry, and we started slowly, slowly seeing how their lives were changed," she explained.

Education, Compassion and Patience

Many of the children had never met a Christian before attending the school.

"We really like it here, the school here is much better than the school in Syria," 12-year-old Batool said. "Besides English, math, and art, we learn from the Bible about Jesus. And our teacher always tells us that we should pray, and she believes that Jesus can help us, and help us go back to Syria one day."

Even the prospect of learning brings back painful memories. For students like Batool and her brother Oday, Syrian school meant harsh discipline and frequent stick beatings.

"All the schools in Syria hit kids, some kids don't understand, Syrian teachers just hit us because they cannot take it and don't have patience," Oday said.

Mohammed expressed similar feelings towards Syrian schools.

"I have a heart problem, there are things that I can't do, so the teacher used to put me on the ground, he would hold the stick, and hit me while I'm on the ground," he explained.
 
In the midst of everything going on in these kids' lives, this school serves as a sanctuary, telling them about the love of Jesus and promising them hope of a better future.

When Omar came here six months ago, he told teachers his dream was to be a terrorist.

"For the teacher it was a shock you know, but I said to the teacher, 'Let's wait and see what later he's going to know after we teach him what we're teaching him and showing him love.' Now he wants to be a policeman," Dagher said.

Learning about Jesus

Denise sees many of the kids grow not only in their education, but also in their relationship with Jesus.

"I truly believe that God is at work and if they come, they will be blessed by what's happening here at this place," Dagher said. "Please pray that these kids will be able to meet Jesus before they leave from here."

The children value the addition of Jesus to their education, too.

"I like learning about Jesus," Mohammed said. "I got shells from the beach and I made a cross out of shells in my home."

Batool said she prays to Jesus that one day she will go back to Syria.

"We don't want to hear what people say, we believe in God that one day we are going to go back to Syria," Batool said.

Even the children's Muslim parents appreciate the Christian education and are overjoyed with the compassion Heart for Lebanon has shown their families.

"I'm very happy, I'm extremely happy that they're in the school," Omar's mother said. "If we're Christians or Muslims we all respect each other and we're different religions but we respect that. We've only seen love and respect from Heart for Lebanon."

Batool and Oday's mother said she loves the kindness shown to her children and prefers the Hope Center to their former school in Syria.

"It is much better, the teachers are kinder, they are warm to the children and that matters," their mother said. "This is very good for the children, they learn about a religion other than Islam."

Reaching Families

Dagher recognizes that by reaching the children, they can also minister to their entire families.

"We know that they are so precious, and God has sent them to us and we need to show them the love of Christ," she said.