Many of the Syrian children living in camps are without any form of education, and by building and funding schools we felt we could give them some happy moments in their lives: something that no one or nothing can ever take away from them.

“We have no idea how to build a school, but we are fortunate enough as a business to be in the position where we can fund one. We were particularly keen on partnering up with 5 Skoler because of their experience and because we could be sure that 100% of the money went to the right place,” said Andreas von der Heide, Les Deux’s Co-Founder.

5 Skoler are a charity based in Denmark, and we provided them with the full funding they needed to refurbish a rundown building and turn it into a school for one of the camps.

“At 5 Skoler, we build schools for children who don’t have a school,” explained Zarah Kirketerp-Møller, Co-CEO of the charity.

“There are children fleeing the civil war in Syria and living in refugee camps, and we try to make a magic space where they can feel safe and secure,” said Maren Elise Skjerlie, her Co-CEO and the Founder of 5 Skoler.

The result of each of the organization's projects differs, with the charity providing a wide range of educational facilities from tents all the way through to brick-and-mortar buildings.

“We often say that even though the cloth in our tents is only two millimeters thick, it feels like the harsh world outside can’t come in. It’s a space where children who don’t have a childhood get the opportunity of a glimpse of one,” Zarah said.

Due to financial pressures, many adults in refugee camps are forced to work long days picking fruit and vegetables, which leaves their children alone for hours at a time.

“If they were not going to school, the children would just spend the day in the camp, usually by themselves with no-one to look after them. Kids raising kids,” Maren said.

Along with the positive effect of the project on the lives of the children, the school also affects the community at large.

“You take children that have nothing, and you give them a childhood. You give them some capabilities that no one can ever take away from them. You give them a chance to take those capabilities back to their community and help their community because their mother and father, usually they can't read or write,” Zarah finished.

It’s perhaps easy to forget the personal stories when such vast numbers of people have been displaced from their homes over the course of the war in Syria: estimates reach as high as 6.8 million.

Ahmed, one of the leaders of the camp and a teacher, spoke passionately about his homeland, which he hopes to return to one day.

“I miss my village and my community from Syria. I miss the river where I used to swim, I miss the traditions, the parties at the village, I miss the memories, and I miss my love from that time. I have my land in my heart, and I smell it in my soul.”

While the day-to-day lives of the children in the camps are different from those in a more conventional setting, there are distinct overlaps. One student spoke about what the school is like. “I have a lot of friends in the school. We go outside, we play basketball, we play tennis, we play football. Sometimes, my friends and I make theater together.”

The children in the camp want to be doctors, police officers, and singers, and as Mohammed, one of the teachers in the school explains, it’s a mistake to assume that the children are damaged by their experiences.

“I don’t see any differences between the children I teach now and those I taught in Syria before the war. It’s a very warm community here, everyone helps each other,” he said. “Projects like this give me so much energy, and I notice this in the team as well. I think it really motivates people to work for a company that takes responsibility and prioritizes these sorts of things. For me it’s not only about the product, it never has been. It’s about people.”