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September 21, 2018

Not even monsoon rains will stop these determined girls from going to school

12-year-old Rohingya refugees Minara and Jasmine talk about attending school for the first time.

 

Across the United States, school is in session. Children are strapping on backpacks, sharpening their pencils and studying for exams. But four million refugee girls and boys have nowhere to learn.

That's four million young minds bursting with unfulfilled potential. Four million futures at risk. Four million hopes and dreams dashed.

Thankfully, refugee children have caring Americans on their side. As UNHCR fights to expand access to education, USA for UNHCR donors are providing millions of bright and resilient girls and boys with a chance to learn — even in a place like Bangladesh's Kutupalong refugee camp.

At Kutupalong — the world's largest refugee camp — Minara and Jasmine, 12-year-old Rohingya girls who fled violence in Myanmar in 2017 with their families, are attending school for the first time ever.

 

 

The Rohingya are a historically persecuted religious minority. Among other human rights abuses, children are routinely denied access to education and parents the opportunity to earn a sustainable living.

"Back home, I was busy with household chores. I had to work, so I never got the chance to go to school," Minara explained. Today, she is proud of her academic accomplishments:  "I've learned how to write here, and I can read as well," Minara says.

Nothing keeps Minara or her friend Jasmine from attending classes six days a week at the camp's brightly decorated bamboo learning center — not even monsoon rains.

"Back home, my parents couldn’t afford to send me to school," says Jasmine. Instead, she worked with her father in his small shop, selling fruit and vegetables.

Today, both girls dream of becoming teachers so they can help others to learn — dreams that are now possible thanks to generous donor support.

To learn more about UNHCR's work on education read the Turn The Tide: Refugee Education In Crisis report.

Here's how you can help...

Minara and Jasmine count on the generosity of caring Americans to ensure they can go to school. Today, you have the power to provide the gift of education to more refugee girls and boys — along with food, shelter, healthcare and other humanitarian assistance. Please become USA for UNHCR's newest monthly donor by making your first gift today.