MEET RAJA

Raja giving an Arabic lesson to his students in MERATH’s partner education center in the Beqaa valley. 

My name is Raja and I am myself a Syrian refugee in Lebanon. I was a teacher in Syria for five years before I decided, in 2014, to leave the country and come to Lebanon because of the war. I prayed a long time to find a job in Lebanon, and when the church started the education center, eight years ago, the pastor offered me this job because he knew my passion and love for educating children.

The students we work with come from war-torn regions. Some are old enough to remember experiencing unimaginable trauma, such as bombings, the loss of their homes and belongings, or in some cases the oppressive control of extremist groups. They carry the scars of war, but they also bear the burden of displacement. We have witnessed first-hand the harsh reality of their daily life in Lebanon, many of them living in temporary shelters, without proper sanitation or sufficient access to the most basic necessities.

What makes me the happiest in the ministry is the feeling to be serving God through serving these children. Jesus’ model of ministry demonstrates that the physical, emotional, and social needs of the community are a vital part of outreach. In Lebanon, there are way too many children who are left out of school. I deeply believe the education center responds to a huge need in our community and it makes me feel like I am at the right place here. I only wish even more children could benefit from it.

We love these children as our own, and I mean it wholeheartedly. We do our best to not only teach them but mentor them and provide them with tools to heal from their traumas and break free from the cycle of violence. I attend trainings and workshops with psychologists to better understand the children and be able to best care for them, each one in the unique way they need.

It hasn’t been easy, but my dedication eventually paid off. Witnessing the change, transformation, and positive response of the children and their families makes me forget all the challenges faced along the way, and increases my passion for teaching day after day. I feel like the harvest I’m reaping now is the reward of eight years of cultivation and nurturing.

It is not just my Syrian identity and heritage that drives my dedication to these children; it is my unwavering belief in the power of education, and God’s grace to transform their lives. I love my work because it stems from a deep sense of purpose to deliver a message. A message to a people the church could not have reached had they not come to Lebanon. 

My main hope for the future is to continue doing God’s will in everything I do. Besides that, I want to continue learning to become an expert in my field, and do my job the very best I can.