steps of progress
Dec 2022
It’s the day to celebrate culture and learn about traditional food at the “Back to the Future” center in Barja.
There, on the first raw sits Nabil (Alias name), wearing a traditional costume, participating actively in all the songs, preparing food, and playing a musical instrument.
Nabil has a medical condition affecting his motor and visual capacities. The five-year-old boy did not attend school before. When Nabil’s younger brother started attending school, the family also got a bag and some books for him even though he was not leaving the home. “I lost hope for my son to be in a center,” said his mother.
In October 2022, Nabil’s mother visited the center and was very happy to find out that her son has an opportunity to be registered. “The center is very good. I am so happy that you are helping children with such cases. The rights of children with disabilities get lost. But it is a different case here” she exclaimed. “Nabil is very attached to me; he even follows me from room to room at home. Once he joined the center, I was fully convinced that he will not stay there without me. I was very surprised to see him sitting in class without me” she added.
Nabil follows the same curriculum as the remaining children in the classroom. He attends the center by the school bus, which is a free of charge service provided to all the children. On the bus, as well as at the center, Nabil receives assistance from the volunteer and the teachers to move around when needed. The rest of the day, he is very engaging, and participates in the activities with his classmates.
“My dream for him is to get an education. He is a smart boy. I want him to reach positions similar to any individual who has good health” – Nabil’s mother.
In a partnership between EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid , AVSI Middle East, and Terre des hommes Italy in Lebanon , the “Back to the Project” project aims to provide an inclusive educational environment to the children like Nabil, where more than 100 children with disabilities are being followed up and referred to specialized services to support their learning capacities.
