Yemeni students continue to study in "ruined schools" by hand-copying textbooks, bookstores in the Gaza Strip are rebuilt after the destruction of bookstores, Syrian restorers are busy at the restoration of ancient books... Many parts of the Middle East have suffered from war in recent years, but people's desire to study has never been stopped by the smoke of war.
Yemen's "ruined school" of copying books to go to school
The Shuhada-Wahda School, located in Ib province in western Yemen, had its only school building destroyed in an airstrike in 2015. The classroom has no doors and windows, no desks and chairs, only steel bars exposed.
"Nearly 100 students in our school have only one textbook, and the teacher writes the content of the textbook on the blackboard, and we copy it down to study." Ashraf Najar told reporters.
Students of the Shuhada-Wahda School play in the rubble.
(Video screenshot)
Principal and teacher Arif Shami said students poured together about 20,000 Yemeni rials (about $40) a month to give to the school, but the school was struggling to run because public funds were cut off. Shami chose to stay because "it's a huge responsibility." Children are the hope of our country, and reading books can create a better future. ”
"I want us to be able to read and learn like children in other countries, have our own textbooks, and grow up to be doctors or engineers." Student Ibrahim Munir said.
The old bookstore in Gaza, "reborn from the fire"
The more than 20-year-old Samir Mansour Bookstore is loved by locals as one of the first bookstores in the Gaza Strip. "The Samir Mansour Bookstore is a treasure trove that makes me smell books and feel the wider world." Gaza resident Suad Muranikh said.
On May 18, 2021, an airstrike leveled the five-story building where the bookstore is located. At that time, the bookstore had about 100,000 books in its collection, and the direct economic loss was as high as $700,000.
The Samir Mansour Bookstore, which reopened in February 2022.
(Video screenshot)
The disappearance of bookstores touched the hearts of many Palestinian readers and overseas people. After many efforts, the bookstore was rebuilt and opened near the original site in February this year. The new store has two floors, an area of about 1,000 square meters, and about 400,000 books of various types. The owner, Mansour, watched with relief as readers moved in and out of the newly built bookstore. The middle-aged man, who describes himself as "a lifelong encounter with books," firmly believes that "palestine has a future if it is passed on to the next generation." ”
A restorer of ancient Syrian books who adheres to the inheritance
In a studio in the old city of Damascus, Syria, nearly 50-year-old Raja Rajha focuses on repairing a broken piece of ancient paper in front of a glowing table. Blackouts have become the norm in Syria, and she wants to do more work while calling. In the past 20 years, she has led the team to restore more than 200 ancient books in different disciplines such as literature and philosophy.
Rajha explained in detail to reporters the restoration process of ancient books: first clean up the paper to be repaired, sometimes soaking it in solution; assess the degree of damage; then use special materials to "patch" the "sore" paper to fill in the "lost" text; and finally bind, strengthen and beautify, and strive to restore the ancient books to the state closest to the original appearance.
Raja Rajha, who is restoring ancient books. (Video screenshot)
Since the 2011 Crisis in Syria, Damascus has been hit by fighting from time to time. Despite the dangers, Rajha was more concerned with saving ancient books from being destroyed under gunfire. To this end, she even risked her life to transfer a batch of precious books.
In recent years, her team colleagues have sought refuge abroad or sought other developments, but she is still holding out and wants to pass on her knowledge and experience to more young Syrians. She said she would not leave her homeland, "If we all leave, who will pass on history?" ”
Source: Xinhua News Agency
Source: International Online