Syrian mother seeks free admission for 6-year-old daughter in UAE

Dubai - Fatima Malik Rahmoum, her husband and their five children live in Ajman.

A Syrian mother in the UAE is desperately knocking on the doors of schools seeking free admission for her six-year-old daughter as the family remains in a dire condition since they fled the Syria war in 2016.
Fatima Malik Rahmoun, her husband and their five children live in Ajman. Her husband ekes out a living by working as a driver and manages to earn just Dh4,500 monthly. "But that's not enough to cover the bills", she said.
Rahmoun and her children were displaced in Idlib, Syria, and stayed in a shelter. After their son sustained severe face and head burns in an explosion, they decided to leave the country. The family had no choice but to sneak into Turkey by paying $1,000 (Dh3,673) for each person. After living there for two months, they finally arrived in the UAE.
Even though they've been able to put three of their children in charity schools, their daughter remains without education.
"My husband works as a driver and he does not earn enough to be able to pay the Dh22,000 yearly rent and pay for the tuition fees for the other children," Rahmoun said. "I went to many schools to check out if they can help us, but all in vain.
"If we had the option to return to Syria, we would; but our house was destroyed and we were living in a shelter. If we go to another city, it will be too expensive for us."
The youngest daughter is one-year-old and Rahmoun fears she too will face a similar fate as her six-year-old girl.
For the past few months, air strikes have continued in rebel-held Idlib and the situation is extremely volatile as well as restive there.
KT had previously reported the plight of Syrians in the UAE, specifically those struggling to put their children in schools due to low income.
There are charity schools that are available to low-income families, but almost all of them are overcrowded and tough to get admission in.
In the past, a British-curriculum school in Dubai gave free spots to seven Syrian students, who are all thriving in their studies till this day.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai