When HDF’s team asked a girl at her new desk in Subha Camp what she wanted to be when she grew up, she had a one-word answer: “Astronaut.”
She was one of 52 children from Syrian refugee families enrolled at the new school in Subha Camp in Mafraq, northern Jordan. Human Development Fund (HDF) opened the school on October 21, 2026, through its Seeds of Hope education program.
A classroom close to home
For years, there was no school near Subha Camp. Many children could not make the trip to class regularly. Some stopped attending altogether. Others kept studying but fell behind in reading, writing and math. With a school inside the camp, the children can now reach a classroom close to home.
A recitation from the Qur’an opened the ceremony, followed by a welcome for students and their families. One of the girls cut the red ribbon at the entrance. When guests stepped into the classrooms, they found bundles of notebooks and pencils tied with ribbon on the desks.
“Who am I, and what is my dream?”
Fifteen students took turns standing before the guests. One by one, they introduced themselves and named the work they hoped to do. Some wanted to become doctors or teachers. Others imagined flying planes, cooking for a living or playing football.
The students played games, posed for photos in a frame marked “Subha School” and cut a cake to celebrate. They also dipped their hands in paint and pressed their palms onto the school’s welcome board.
