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The Russians ""stressed to us that they are standing by Syria Taywan Taylor
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interview.
Further slamming the strike Adoree'
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as saying that there was no aerial bombardment on the targeted area in the Khan
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Meanwhile Kevin Byard
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She said her country was expecting an investigation team from the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), stressing that the
Syrian government is in no possession of chemical weapons.
China reshuffles 84 corps-level military units
China hopes for a united Jack Conklin
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Shanghai auto show starts
Three people killed in Fresno shooting spree
In pics: scenery of Baiyangdian in Xiongan New Area
In pics: tea garden in central China's Henan
Peach blossoms on terrace fields in Guyuan, NW China's Ningxia
Stewardesses for high-speed train take part in training program in Harbin
"
by Zheng Kailun and Wang Xue
CAIRO, June 20 (Xinhua) -- In the heart of Cairo's Maadi, one of the Egyptian
capital's upscale districts, lies a two-story villa that is quite
indistinguishable from other buildings in the neighborhood.
The property used to house a family of 10, but with its bedrooms refurbished
into classrooms and a small garden into a playground, it is now occupied by
African Hope Learning Center (AHLC) and caters for 500 students, most of whom
are refugee children from Africa.
ONLY CHANCE FOR EDUCATION
According to a recent report by the United Nations High Commission for
Refugees (UNHCR), Egypt hosts more than 50,000 refugees from Sudan, South Sudan,
Somalia, Ethiopia and other African countries.
The unofficial number, however, may be much higher, and mere numbers reveal
little about the dire situation of refugees, especially that of children.
"Refugee kids suffer from war trauma, famine and extreme poverty in their
countries of origin. They easily feel insecure and anxious," said Kizito
Dreanos, a senior staff member of AHLC. "In a word, they are very troubled."
Founded in 1998, AHLC is a sponsor-backed institution dedicated to providing
displaced African children in Cairo with access to primary and high school
education, as well as a lunch, the only meal of the day for many of them.
"The kids' families can't afford public schools here, so AHLC is the only
hope for them to have any education at all," Dreanos told Xinhua.
After a brief summer holiday, around 30 children came back to attend the
center's summer school on Monday, coinciding with the United Nations' World
Refugee Day.
Rasha Tartizio, a 17-year-old girl who has been studying at the center for
five years, told Xinhua how she missed school during the holidays because she
wants to meet her friends.
"I don't like holidays; they are boring. You can meet new people and your
best friends at school, and we play and sing together, so the school has alway
been fun," said Rasha, adding that her dream is to travel around the world
someday.
TEACHER, FRIEND, PARENT
AHLC currently employs 49 staff members, the majority of whom are Africans.
They play multiple roles in the school: teachers, playmates, and sometimes
parents.
Dreanos came from Uganda and started volunteering in AHLC nine years ago when
he was a college student. He taught the children basic computer skills, English
and mathematics. After graduation, he chose to work here as a full-timer.
"It was an easy decision for me to stay here because I want to make a
difference," Dreanos said. "Most of the kids here have lost one or both of their
parents back home, so I sometimes feel that they look upon me as their father."
The children's laughter is Dreanos' biggest reward. "Spending time with the
kids has always been lots of fun to me. No matter how bad a morning starts,
those children always make my day when the school begins."
Dreanos' story is typical of the staff: they came to Cairo as students or
refugees, started volunteering in AHLC, and simply could not leave the children
behind.
John James came from South Sudan to Egypt 17 years ago and found his first
job at AHLC.
"Deep in my heart there is a calling. I have the ability to teach those
children, so I have to, and I love it," said James, the director of the summer
school.
"What I have seen in my life, I do not want the children to see it again.
That's the reason why I work here for so long," said Hala David, supervisor of
the center's primary school.
AGAINST ALL ODDS
Mounting financial pressures have challenged AHLC's existence in recent
years. With 80 percent of its budget coming from donations, AHLC finds it even
hard to pay the rent of the villa on time, James told Xinhua, adding that there
is also a l.