Loading ...Straight Outta Syria: meet the refugee kids rapping for education
Angela Solomon
NOW.
t’s a grey day, and kids are playing football on a patch of scrubland somewhere in the Bekaa Valley. A camera crew and thoughtful NGO staff, trained to deal with children and knowledgeable about things like ‘informed consent’, are filming three young Syrian brothers, Mohammed (9), Abdelrahman (12) and Samir (13).
These kids know they’re children of conflict. They know things no child should know: the sound of shelling and the chaos of leaving home in the night. They have crossed a frightening border and huddled together for warmth in the rain. Not much about their childhood is ‘normal’.
But that is not why they’re being filmed.
They’re being filmed because they’re kickass rappers.
We all look for a human connection to the unimaginable tragedy of the Syrian war. My connection with these boys is how we have all been touched by great migrations. Mohammed, Abdelrahman and Samir are part of a wave of conflict-driven displacement. I am the daughter of twentieth century globalisation: eyes the green of the Scottish Highlands atop a Levantine nose the shape of Ras Beirut. We both, in different ways, experience disconnection from our roots, though theirs will be much heavier to bear.
That’s where the comparison ends. As they forge their way in the world, they will have to overcome many disadvantages that I never had to face. Life will be hard for them, no matter what they or their brave parents do.
But they will not be held back by a lack of education. The kids in the film are among the 200,000 refugee kids in Lebanon who have secured school places this year, thanks to donor commitment and Lebanese ingenuity. Mohammed, Samir and Abdelrahman want to study, so they can become better rappers. They already master the Arabic language far better than I do.
I, and the passionate people who made the film, hope the boys’ story will inspire citizens in Lebanon, Syria and the Middle East to push for more effort (and cash) from their leaders for education. If we can secure $500 million at the next pledging conference (on 4 February in London), one million Syrian kids like Mohammed, Abdelrahman and Samir will get the chance to develop their talents and fulfil their potential.
As we see the human devastation wrought by the Syria war, people here in Lebanon, in Syria and around the world are left asking: what can we do?
Well here’s your answer. We can offer these kids our respect and support, and share their message via the #upforschool campaign. It’s easy: two minutes of our time, to help these brilliant kids get the start in life they deserve – and that we all take for granted? That’s a connection worth clicking for.
Source: now.mmedia.me