Huthayfa Ghanaymeh, 14, is a Palestinian from Syria who was brought up in the Yarmouk areof Damascus. When the Syria crisis affected his neighbourhood, Huthayfa fled with his family and ended up in Lebanon. He lost valuable years of his education during this turbulent time, but thanks to the UNRWA schools in Lebanon, Huthayfa once again has access to learning. Today, Huthayfa studies at Haifa School. He has not only managed to catch up with a completely new curriculum, but has excelled and is now the top of his class.

“He is generally a shy person and very quiet,” says Arifa Kanaan, the school counsellor. “He is also polite and joins any group activities that we organise.”

This school is established with the support of the EUTF and UNRWA. In addition to providing educational support, the project provides psycho-social support to many children, through group activities or individual consultation.

Huthayfa enjoys being the best of his class because this makes his parents happy. His parents, who worked hard to support their children and provide them with a life that not many Palestinians who fled Syria enjoy in Lebanon, are happy to see their children reclaim their education. They are also happy to see Huthayfa develop a special interest in chess, which has led him to win a number of prizes and medals.

“When we first came to Lebanon we were beginners,” Huthayfa says. “We didn’t have friends, so we started playing chess a lot with my father. After a while we advanced.”

Through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the EU Trust Fund helps provide Palestinian refugees from Syria and local communities in Lebanon and Jordan with basic needs, including access to quality education, protection and psycho-social support.