“I was a princess, I had a neighbourhood, a street and an address. And now all I have become is a number”
The Young Journalists’ Club, run by Lebanese humanitarian organisation Beyond, gives Syrian refugee children an opportunity to raise awareness about their situation and the problems they face, and to express themselves and deal emotionally with issues of trauma, fear and anger. Members of the Club wrote letters to world leaders, which Theirworld was able to take to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. This blog first appeared on #UpForSchool Lebanon, campaigning for the right to education for all. Supported by Theirworld.
I had before a beautiful village and a big city.
I had before a garden, flowers and many friends around.
I was a princess, I had a neighbourhood, a street and an address.
And now all I have become is a number.
They stole my values and gave me a number.
A code on the door of the camp and numbers for the tents.
Where are my rights without the number?
Where is my childhood, where is my education?
Bring me back home and I swear I will leave my number as a gift for you.
Sheymaa has been in Lebanon for four and a half years. She says that sometimes she feels angry with countries who are not doing more to stop the violence, “because what is the guilt of the children who are dying?” She does not go to school but says that the Young Journalists’ Club has helped her to talk more about her feelings and what she is going through.