Sara hopes for a world where all Syrian girls choose their future
How one school exam changed everything
My family’s tent does not have electricity, so I can’t study after dark. For the first six months of this year, I woke up every day at dawn to study for my university entrance exams. At night, I dreamed of university life and studying to be a pharmacist.
Malala Fund supporters sent Good Luck cards to me and my classmates — all Syrian refugee girls hoping this test would be our ticket out of Jordan’s Azraq camp and on to a brighter future.
As the day of the test drew near, my friend Rahaf and I were nervous but excited. She hoped to be an English teacher and have students of her own one day.
But I didn’t pass the test. I knew all my subjects so well, but the timer made me nervous. I only had a few hours to prove I was worthy of a spot at university.
My father told me, “This is not the end of the world; you must keep trying.” He set up a dedicated study space for me and I signed up to take the test again.
Rahaf’s family is not like mine. She failed her test, too — but she didn’t come back to school. Her family made her get married. I see her with her husband in camp and wonder if she still dreams of being a teacher.
Thank you,
Sara
