Education in Syria is in crisis. One third of Syria’s children are out of school completely, at least in part because a third of the country’s schools were destroyed or damaged by the ongoing civil war and the recent earthquake.
To help Syrian children who are forced out of schools, community fintech 11Onze has kicked off a programme to raise €100,000 to create 50 ‘Shelter Schools’ to care for 1,750 children affected by the earthquake earlier this year.
For this, 11Onze has entered into a partnership with the Swedish Better Shelter which has a proven history of building houses and schools for war and disaster victims.
Explaining the initiative James Sene, Chairman, 11Onze, said, “At 11Onze we understand that for a secure future, we must educate children; for which we need to build schools. That’s why we want to build refugee schools in the north of Syria, so that children can go back to school and get on with their lives.”
Explaining choosing Better Shelter as a partner, Sene added, “We decided to go with Better Shelter for this project as they have a proven record of installing shelters in 80 countries, improving the living conditions of 400,000 people.”
The role of 11Onze community
Sene added, “At 11Onze we believe in transforming realities that we don’t like. We have an active, conscious and responsible community which is happy to rolls up its sleeves because we like to change things. This is an opportunity to share our wealth and make a positive impact on the lives of those in need of support and hope.”
Better Schools
Unlike plastic or fabric tents used to set up temporary schools in refugee camps, Better Shelter uses durable materials to build refugee schools.
Better Shelter’s Technical Support Manager, Miguel Acebron Garcia de Eulate, explained: “For us there are two pillars, safety and dignity. That is why it is a rigid shelter, not made of cloth. They are designed to last and guarantee the security and privacy of their users.”
Miguel also explained that the refugee camps must be sturdy and not temporary because over the decades, they have noticed that this apparently transitory situation tends to last longer. In fact, in central Africa, there are already cases of people who have been born and have spent their entire lives in a camp.
With 11Onze’s Arremanga and Better Shelter project, donors are also offered absolute transparency of the costs. “The 11Onze’s Arremanga page lists the prices of each of the elements needed to make a shelter. This way people have control over the amount they spend towards the school.”
