Background
Alice Cornish - Head of Education
Alice is Head of education at the Varkey Foundation and is responsible for the quality of the work the Foundation does in the space of education to ensure the programmes they deliver have a positive impact on the communities they work in.
Varkey Foundation also runs the Top teacher Prize award, which has been recognised globally and she works with the top finalists of each year to provide them with a platform to raise the status of teaching.
She visited the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, which was opened in 2012 and hosts over 100,000 Syrians over half of which are children below the age of 18. The original capacity of the camp was only 60,000 people.
It is cited as the fourth largest city in Jordan and is slowly evolving into a permanent settlement. The camp is made up of 30,000 shelters, 3 hospitals and 3 schools and a market like structure of 3,000 makeshift shops.
Varkey Foundation also runs the Top teacher Prize award, which has been recognised globally and she works with the top finalists of each year to provide them with a platform to raise the status of teaching.
She visited the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, which was opened in 2012 and hosts over 100,000 Syrians over half of which are children below the age of 18. The original capacity of the camp was only 60,000 people.
It is cited as the fourth largest city in Jordan and is slowly evolving into a permanent settlement. The camp is made up of 30,000 shelters, 3 hospitals and 3 schools and a market like structure of 3,000 makeshift shops.
Perspective
1.As Head of Education at the Varkey Foundation, what was your aim in visiting the Zaatari camp?
To broaden my understanding of effective refugee education initiatives. My visit preceded a two-day conference in Jordan on Education in Uncertainty.
2.How did you feel whilst you were at the refugee camp in Jordan?
It’s difficult not to feel saddened by the plight of refugees, many of whom have been born into the Zaatari camp and have little prospect of leaving. Having said that, there are many great initiatives that are making a positive difference to people’s lives. Much too often, however, these initiatives are dis-jointed and operate in silos.
3.What did you notice about the daily life of the refugees at the Zaatari camp?
We spoke with teenagers in school who reflected on the repetitive nature of their lives: there are few opportunities beyond school, after-school clubs and home. As such, they do the same thing every day and are bored and uninspired. Many of them have never left the camp and expressed their desire to go on field trips beyond the camp walls.
There are hints of the trauma children have experienced all the time. For example, in one after-school club we visited, the sound of police cars triggered a painful memory for one child and she was inconsolable. This is a daily reminder of the suffering many inhabitants have been through.
4.In a camp that is already overcrowded, what difficulties do the refugees face?
Lack of reliable internet, power cut off for a significant proportion of the day, unreliable water sources. Significantly, there are restrictions on how many people in one family can enter into paid employment in the camp because of the lack of opportunities for all; this means families find it very hard to secure financial independence.
5. What do you feel needs to improve the situation at the refugee camp in Jordan?
A joining up of interventions and initiatives. More opportunities for refugees to gain economic independence. More resources. More robust approaches to providing psycho-social support for children who’ve experienced trauma.
To broaden my understanding of effective refugee education initiatives. My visit preceded a two-day conference in Jordan on Education in Uncertainty.
2.How did you feel whilst you were at the refugee camp in Jordan?
It’s difficult not to feel saddened by the plight of refugees, many of whom have been born into the Zaatari camp and have little prospect of leaving. Having said that, there are many great initiatives that are making a positive difference to people’s lives. Much too often, however, these initiatives are dis-jointed and operate in silos.
3.What did you notice about the daily life of the refugees at the Zaatari camp?
We spoke with teenagers in school who reflected on the repetitive nature of their lives: there are few opportunities beyond school, after-school clubs and home. As such, they do the same thing every day and are bored and uninspired. Many of them have never left the camp and expressed their desire to go on field trips beyond the camp walls.
There are hints of the trauma children have experienced all the time. For example, in one after-school club we visited, the sound of police cars triggered a painful memory for one child and she was inconsolable. This is a daily reminder of the suffering many inhabitants have been through.
4.In a camp that is already overcrowded, what difficulties do the refugees face?
Lack of reliable internet, power cut off for a significant proportion of the day, unreliable water sources. Significantly, there are restrictions on how many people in one family can enter into paid employment in the camp because of the lack of opportunities for all; this means families find it very hard to secure financial independence.
5. What do you feel needs to improve the situation at the refugee camp in Jordan?
A joining up of interventions and initiatives. More opportunities for refugees to gain economic independence. More resources. More robust approaches to providing psycho-social support for children who’ve experienced trauma.
