This story was previously published on UNICEF's website.

Rural Damascus, Syria – “A new chapter in my life has begun. After going back to learning, I felt I regained a part of my life I thought I had lost,” said Mohamad, 17, from Kasmieh village in Alnashabiyah town of Rural Damascus, Syria.

He lost both of his parents in the conflict and lived through displacement and hardship.

“I was only 7 years old when a shell hit our house, killing my mother, and injuring my sisters. My father lost his leg,” Mohamad added. Later, the family took refuge at a shelter for two months, then they lost Mohamad’s father.

With his younger sisters and grandparents, Mohamad was forced to leave again and settle in Altal, a nearby city. There, he learned carpentry. “My father was a carpenter and I loved watching him make furniture. So, I went to a carpentry shop in the neighborhood and started learning the profession,” said Mohamad.

After two years in Altal, his grandfather could no longer afford to pay the rent of the house, where the family took shelter. They moved back to their home village to find their house damaged, but there was nowhere else to go, so they stayed.

With the deteriorating economic situation in the country, Mohamad decided to pitch in and help his grandfather support the family. He worked at a carpentry shop and helped to fix parts of the house. “I made new doors for my grandparents’ home. My grandfather was so proud of me,” said Mohamad smiling.

Mohamad went to school on and off during the years, but he completely dropped out after taking on the job and becoming the main breadwinner for the family.

In August 2023, a group of volunteers approached the family while conducting door-to-door visits in the area to encourage out-of-school children to resume their education.

They informed Mohamad about the UNICEF-supported ‘self-learning’ program. The program is designed to help students who missed out on periods of education, and it was available at the school in his village.

Mohamad agreed with his boss at the carpentry shop to work in the evenings, so that he could attend the self-learning classes.

“A new chapter in my life began,” added Mohamad. He has been catching up not only on his learning but also on a life outside work. “I started to have a social life away from work and I participated in fun activities at school.”

Mohamad wants to continue learning and dreams of owning a carpentry shop in the future.

In 2023, UNICEF reached more than 131,200 children and caregivers with door-to-door visits, a part of the back-to-learning support in Syria. Some 28,500 children benefited from the self-learning program in the country.

The activities were funded by Education Cannot Wait; EU Humanitarian Aid; the European Union and Government of Norway under the UN Joint Program to Build and Strengthen Urban and Rural Resilience and the Conditions for Recovery in Syria; the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the KFW Development Bank; the Global Humanitarian Thematic Fund; the Global Partnership for Education; the Governments of Australia, Finland, Japan, Republic of Korea and Norway; and the UNICEF National Committee for Canada.