In 2017, Israa fled war-torn Syria with her six children, seeking safety in Lebanon. Despite her efforts, she faced difficulties to register her children in schools.

In September 2022, Israa’s situation improved when she got introduced to Al Moasat Association, a partner in the “Back to the Future” project, where her two daughters Rima (12 years old) and Khadija (13 years old) are now enrolled in the non-formal educational programs, offering them hope for a better future.

Rima joined BLN- Basic Literacy and Numeracy classes, but she faced numerous challenges. Her shyness made it difficult for her to communicate and make friends with her classmates. This affected her self-esteem, leading her to avoid social interaction and activities.

She also showed difficulties in writing. It was hard for her to write, copy, or remember letters and numbers. Rima’s pace was slow in writing, and she wrote the words in reverse. Therefore, she was referred to the inclusion officer to asses her abilities and difficulties and to identify her needs to do well in her classes.

Through the “Back to the Future” project, Rima received psychomotor therapy intervention to address graph motor difficulties. These sessions targeted her motor skills and handwriting challenges, focusing on fine motor skills, coordination, and higher-order reasoning. This holistic approach taught Rima important basic skills that made her feel proud and confident in herself. As a result, she started to participate more in class and felt proud of her accomplishment.

The teachers noticed Rima’s improvement in school and in interacting with others. She made good friends, took part in classes, spoke her mind with more confidence, and asked for help when needed.

Israa expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you for the educational opportunity provided to my children; Rimas really changed, she has friends and she overcame the shyness that was preventing her from interacting with the community”.

This intervention was provided under the ”Back to the Future IV” implemented by AVSI Middle East, and Terre des hommes Italy in Lebanon, and Funded by EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid.