Meet Rama

Originally from Damascus, 17 year old Rama is currently living in Jordan with her family. We caught up with Rama to talk more in depth about life in Jordan, her hopes for the future and why she is excited about Sky School.

Sky School: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your life?

Rama: My name is Rama and I’m from Damascus in Syria. I came to Jordan about a year ago now, and planned to finish my education here. However, when we arrived in Jordan, they took our passports at the airport, and you need a passport to go to school here. They said we would only get them back when we left.

Sky School: Did they give you any other form of identification to keep with you?

Rama: No, just a card which has my name on it, and the only thing you can use it for is for getting your passport back at the airport. You can’t register at a school or university here without a passport or something similar, something that has your identity on.

Sky School: Is it the same situation for others who come to Jordan from Syria?

Rama: That’s what happened to us when we came to Queen Alia airport, but for others who come to Jordan in other ways I really don’t know.

Sky School: When you were in Syria, did you like going to school?

Rama: Of course, education is everything. There is no other solution. But when we came here and tried to go back to school, you couldn’t do anything without passports.

Sky School: What was your education like in Syria?

Rama: I studied, and went to school and everything, but in the last year, there was so much fear, and with what was happening, I ended up going to school one day out of ten.

Sky School:  When you came to Amman, how many schools did you try to enrol in?

Rama: We tried loads of schools but they all said the same thing: you need a security card. But you can’t get a security card without a passport.

Sky School: Do you know any other people in Amman who are trying to go to school but are facing the same obstacles?

Rama: I don’t know of any. I know there are a lot of Syrian students here, but especially those born in 2004 or 2005 are not accepted into schools at all. Those who are accepted, their classes are often in the evenings, and they don’t really have proper lessons, or they will be put in classes a year or two lower than they should be.

Sky School: What is important to you in terms of education?

Rama: To be able to complete my high school diploma, so I can progress and study law in the future.

Sky School: Why law?

Rama: It’s my dream to become a judge, and to study law. Pretty much since I was born I’ve wanted to study in Britain!

Sky School: How did you hear about Sky School?

Rama: There’s a Facebook group for Syrian girls in Jordan and one of them posted about it there. They said that Mia and Polly were coming to Jordan, they wanted to open Sky School, and they wanted to meet people and interview them about it. So I messaged the girl that posted it and met with Polly and Mia the next day.

Sky School: And what did you think about it when you first heard about it?

Rama: I was surprised by it and really loved the idea.

Sky School: Do you think Sky School would be helpful for you?

Rama: I think it could really help me a lot. It’s a way for me to go to school. I know what I want for my future but right now there’s nothing I can do. It will enable me to study, so that I can go to university, read law, and realise my dream.

Interview by Frances Howell.
Rama also features in the Sky School video.