Articles
The kids are denied permission to cross the border!
This message appeared on my phone, and I froze. This can’t be! I had spent the whole day Friday in the sun at the Syrian border, with my team working on securing a safe pass for our 9th graders who were going to present their official exams in Syria and time after time we were promised approval will be issued shortly.
One of my teammates worked on filling the requested documents and I spent my day calling people, pulling strings and making connections.
In the late afternoon we were finally promised a crossing later in the evening.
I left my team there with the students and headed to Beirut.
Later on, this message saying the General security refused our request appeared on my phone and I started to frantically make calls again. We sent the kids home for the night knowing it’s going to be a long night
I felt for these children who worked hard all year for this moment. They had to overcome many obstacles, from blocked roads, Coronavirus threats, lock downs, impossibility to study in person and many times just meeting in one of the teacher’s tents to try to finish the curriculum in time. They were stressed, disappointed, and feeling all their efforts were in vain.
Crossing into Syria is a big ordeal. Some of the children entered Lebanon illegally and needed to normalize their status, and the trip was going to be without any of their tutors and they may be denied reentry into Lebanon.
The parents were as stressed as their children. Most of the students are 15 and 16 years old, and they needed to cross the borders with no one going with them to supervise them.
Some of the parents started to talk to us about crossing into Syria illegally over the mountain as they didn’t want the children to miss their exams.
We didn’t know what to say.
We had missed the 72 hours where the PCR results were accepted and decided that in the early morning Saturday our school coordinator will take all the kids again to take a second PCR test. We explained the situation at the hospital and requested a hasty result. Truth is, we didn’t have much time. Exams were starting the second day (Sunday) and we didn’t know if we will be able to pull it off, but we wanted to be ready for any changes.
Everyone got involved.
We talked with someone in the ministry of education in Syria who sent a message to the Syrian embassy in Lebanon who then made the crossing request to the Lebanese general security head office who then sent the names of our students to the borders
The team got busy again filling papers and finally In the Saturday afternoon after 2 long days, we got the approval. And at 7 PM the buses taking the kids into Syria took off with everyone on board.
We rejoiced, praising the Lord for this open door. But that was not the end of it. This was only getting out of Lebanon. At The Syrian border, every student who had left Syria illegally went into a room for interrogation. Where did you live before? Where are your parents? What side they were on during the conflict? How did they cross? Who helped them cross illegally? etc… These are 15 and 16 years old students who are now not only stressed but also full of fear. The students start to send us messages expressing worries and fear.
We were on the edge, praying these kids will get through. Interrogation kept going till about midnight and we kept calming them down telling them that things will be fine. And it wasn’t till 1 am that they arrived at their assigned location near the place where they needed to present their exams.
And the second day was official exam day. Our students went in tired after a very short night but full of hope that they still have a chance to get their official diploma.
Our students are still in Syria now. Exams are still going on. We’re praying they will not only succeed but that they might excel.
In the meantime, we are making sure updated IDs will be issued for each one of the students in Syria so they can return with legal papers and be reunited with their parents.
Janane (Nuna)