Arabic was the subject Amal feared most. Now, as she takes her ninth-grade exams in Sarmada, she speaks about it differently.
“I was even eager to take the exams because I have mastered it,” she says.
Through the Ghiras Al-Noor educational project, the Human Development Fund (HDF) is helping students like Amal continue their education in northwest Syria through remedial classes closer to where they live.
Returning to Education in Northwest Syria
Amal is from Ma’arat Debsa in the Idlib countryside. “We suffered from displacement, and my father was martyred,” she says. “I was always searching for safety and stability in my life.”
She arrived at Sham Village in Sarmada when she was six years old. The village is a long row of single-story shelters set between open fields, away from the city center. For years, school moved on without her.
“I used to see my friends learning while I was lagging behind,” she says.
At Sham Village, Amal found a way back into education. “So here, Sham Village helped me to continue my educational journey.” She also continued working toward another goal: memorizing the Qur’an. So far, she has completed five parts.
From Fear to Confidence
Reaching ninth grade marked an important step for Amal, but it also brought new pressure. “I was very afraid that I wouldn’t achieve my dreams,” she says. Arabic remained the subject she found most difficult, and its exams were the ones she feared.
Then HDF began offering remedial classes in the village through Ghiras Al-Noor. For students living far from the city center, having those classes nearby was unexpected.
“Here, in a place far from the heart of the city, we didn’t expect there to be remedial classes for certificate students and Quranic institutes,” Amal says. “This had a major role in our educational journey.”
The change for Amal was specific. The subject that once caused anxiety became one she enjoyed studying.
“I really grew to love this subject. I no longer fear it.”
That confidence stayed with her as the exams approached. Instead of dreading Arabic, Amal felt ready to take the test.
A Request for Prayer
Amal is taking her ninth-grade exams now. At the end of her interview, she had one request for everyone reading her story: “I hope you pray for me.”
She also shared a message for the people who helped make the remedial classes possible.
“I thank the Human Development Fund (HDF) organization that supported me,” she says. “May God reward you with goodness.”
Amal’s story shows what consistent educational assistance can make possible. It can help a student return to learning, strengthen a difficult subject, and enter an exam room with confidence instead of fear.
Support education programs like Ghiras Al-Noor for students in northwest Syria.
