Education
BounceBack 4 Syria
Give a Syrian child something to smile about
Where Syrian children can just be children
In the displacement camps of Northwest Syria, schools no longer exist. Classrooms have been replaced with tents, and pencils swapped for pebbles. Yet even in the rubble of war, children still want to learn and play.
BounceBack4Syria brings joy, learning, and hope to children living through unimaginable hardship, through the transformative power of resilience fostering, play-based education.
A new kind of classroom!
In the warm summers in the heart of a camp in Idlib, Syria, three times a week something extraordinary happens. Children gather with wide smiles and eager eyes, waiting for the arrival of ReliefAid’s Educators. When they arrive, the atmosphere shifts. Gone are the long, empty hours. Out come hula hoops, skipping ropes, whiteboards, drawing supplies, and laughter.
This is BounceBack4Syria, our education-through-play programme tailored for children displaced by war in Syria. With no formal schools in the camps, our six-week sessions are often the only structured learning children receive.
We don’t just drop off supplies, we stay. Each session is led by trained local Educators who live in the communities they serve. They guide children through games, storytelling, group activities, and creative tasks designed to boost confidence, encourage cooperation, and help process trauma.
Before the project, the children did not have the ability to establish social relationships. During the project, I found a change in them. They started to like to meet with friends.
Parent – Syria
How can you get involved?
Just $60 provides a family with a whiteboard, drawing materials, sports equipment, and six weeks of support from a local ReliefAid Educator.
One school fundraiser can support dozens of children in camps where schools no longer exist.
Feeling Inspired?
Why not fundraise for a ReliefAid education programme at your school, and show Kiwi children can make a difference? Find out more here.
More than just play
We believe education is multidimensional, especially in conflict zones.
BounceBack4Syria nurtures social, emotional, physical, and mental development, all while helping children reclaim their right to childhood.
Painting and drawing allows for self-expression. Sports and games build coordination and teamwork. Group activities develop resilience, self-esteem, and trust.
Most importantly, children experience joy, a powerful antidote to trauma.
For many, it’s their first time holding a crayon. Their first chance to write their names. Their first time playing freely with other kids.
Sima was badly burned by kerosene and very withdrawn. She didn’t mix with the other children. Now, she’s always smiling and playing – she’s no longer afraid of her face.
Fatima – ReliefAid Educator, Syria
Made possible by people like you, you can make a difference today.
The demand for BounceBack4Syria is overwhelming but our ability to reach children is limited only by funding.
Every programme we run is powered by individual donors, fundraising events, school sponsorships, and community giving through platforms like Givealittle.
Our supporters have included school classes, sports teams, and community groups who chose to make a difference for kids their own age, living through war.
Run by experts and delivered with care
The programme is led by ReliefAid’s Education Manager, Bernadette Stockman, who brings over 25 years of teaching and curriculum development experience.
Our local Educators are the heart of the programme. They are consistent faces in children’s lives, helping them rebuild social bonds and emotional strength after trauma.
Every visit, I see a big improvement in the children’s behaviour. They play together, they cooperate more, they begin to smile again.
Fatima – Educator
Join us! Children in displacement camps are waiting. You can help fill the silence with laughter and learning.
Can you make a difference?
If you can support a family in need please click the button to start the process. Just $25 can make a real difference to a whole family.
Stories from Education
Miteb’s Story
In a displacement camp in northern Syria, a young boy named Miteb was among the children still living with the trauma of conflict. Displaced with his family, he struggled with deep behavioural challenges.
Read Miteb’s Story
Umm Mohieddin’s Story
After 14 years of war, which displaced over 13 million people and destroyed large parts of Syria’s infrastructure, the Syrian people continue to face critical challenges.
Jamila’s Story
Jamila and her family have been forced from their home due to years of devastating civil war within Syria.
Read Jamila’s Story
