How One Girl Found Her Way Back to Education
Noura was only eight when she was taken out of school. Her father could no longer afford her education. Her two younger sisters will also stop attending school once they turn eight. Her brother left school at nine to help his father in his car repair garage.
Today, Noura is 25, she lives in the Arab Peninsula. For years, she has quietly carried one hope in her heart: to go back to school someday.
Her father does not believe in education. For him, school is a waste of time and money. He believes it is wiser to start earning as early as possible rather than spending on studies. Her mother has no say in the matter. Noura sometimes hears her crying alone, knowing deep down that education could give her children a better future, but she feels helpless.
Despite everything, Noura kept learning in her own way. She reread her old schoolbooks and borrowed her sisters’ books whenever she could. She also deeply missed her classmates and the joy of school.
Noura’s story is just one among many in the MENA region, and in other parts of the world, where education becomes a distant dream.
Education: An Unreachable Luxury
Before children like Noura, and her brother, can access education again, it is crucial to raise awareness among parents about its value. Families living in poverty need education even more, because it is often the only path to opportunity and dignity.
In some countries, governments do not treat education as a priority. Public schools, where they exist, may be overcrowded, poorly equipped, or unsafe.
Some parents, like Noura’s father, simply do not believe in education and schools. Others truly cannot afford it. Many depend on their children to work, help pay the bills, and put food on the table. Sometimes parents can afford education for one child, but not for all.