Without the scholarship, Al-Aboud stated that she would have had no choice but to return to Syria, where she would have completely lost the opportunity for education.
Fatima Al-Aboud has made a groundbreaking achievement by becoming the first Syrian girl to earn a scholarship to Westminster School in Connecticut.
Now, she is determinedly pursuing her ambition to become a psychologist, a goal she sees as a fight on behalf of all girls who share her circumstances.
Although educational opportunities are available in Jordan, many refugee families encounter significant challenges in re-enrolling their children in school. UNICEF reports that over 40% of Syrian refugee children between the ages of 12 and 15 in Jordan drop out of school, an issue that Squash Dreamers is actively addressing.
This supportive community reaches beyond just the girls themselves.
Syrian refugee Shadia Ammar works at Squash Dreamers, cooking for the 90 girls who are currently part of the program. She said she isn’t just an employee but rather a vital support network.
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, more than 50,000 Syrian refugees have already voluntarily returned to Syria from Jordan and more are considering the same journey.
