LEBANON / BLIND REFUGEE BROTHERS

In Lebanon, two Syrian refugee brothers are defying their visual disability and succeeding at school. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:18
• Production Date: 3 December 2018
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: EDUCATION; PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES; REFUGEES
• Geographic Subject: LEBANON
• MAMS Id: 2324631
• Parent Id: 2324631
• Alternate Title: unifeed181203e

Description

STORY: LEBANON / BLIND REFUGEE BROTHERS
TRT: 2:18
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNHCR ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: NOVEMBER 2018, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. UPSOUND (Arabic) Ahmad Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“Canard?
2. UPSOUND (Arabic) Alaa Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“A bird?”
3. UPSOUND (Arabic) Ahmad Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“No. It’s a duck”
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmad Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“I help him, and he helps me.”
5. Close up, Alaa’s face
6. Close up, Ahmad’s face
7. Med shot, Alaa and Ahmad chatting inside tent
8. Various shots, Alaa listening to voice message
9. Close up, Alaa typing on phone
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Alaa Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“I started learning the letters. I focused on the letters. At first, I would press a key and he would tell me what it was, then two letters, then three letters. That’s how I began writing words, sentences and full texts.”
11. Med shot, Ahmad and his sister reading from a book
12. Close up, Ahmad’s face.
13. Wide shot, family walking from settlement to school.
14. Med shot, Alaa walking with brother
15. Pan right, Alaa walking into class
16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Doha Hajar, Lebanese Teacher:
“He was able with time to overcome his problem. The fact that he cannot see did not stop him from continuing, persevering, trying to learning to get a degree from this school, succeeding, and getting good grades. He is even competing with the brightest [in his class].”
17. Various shots, Alaa inside classroom
18. Wide shot, students applauding Alaa after his recitation
19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Alaa Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“Education is everything. I don’t like to see anyone leave school.”
20. Various shots, Ahmad sitting in classroom
21. UPSOUND (Arabic) Ahmad Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“I am good at Arabic.”
22. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmad Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“I would like to write but I don’t know how.”
23. Various shots, Ahmad looking out window of tent

Storyline

In Lebanon, two Syrian refugee brothers are defying their visual disability and succeeding at school.

UPSOUND (Arabic) Ahmad Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“Canard?

UPSOUND (Arabic) Alaa Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“A bird?”

UPSOUND (Arabic) Ahmad Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“No. It’s a duck”

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmad Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“I help him, and he helps me.”

These two brothers, who are blind, teach each other French. They are Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. Neither exile nor their disabilities have kept them from learning.

Alaa uses an old mobile phone to write. The phone he said was a gift from his uncle.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Alaa Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“I started learning the letters. I focused on the letters. At first, I would press a key and he would tell me what it was, then two letters, then three letters. That’s how I began writing words, sentences and full texts.”

Ahmad on the other hand has a great memory.

Every day the brothers walk to a public school near their settlement in the northern district of Akkar. With braille learning unavailable in the rural area where their informal settlement is located, and unable to afford a specialist private school, the brothers were ultimately welcomed at a nearby Lebanese public school that holds afternoon classes for Syrian refugees.

Although having to catch up on schooling means Alaa is a couple of years older than his classmates, his teachers have been impressed by the way he has overcome every obstacle.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Doha Hajar, Lebanese Teacher:
“He was able with time to overcome his problem. The fact that he cannot see did not stop him from continuing, persevering, trying to learning to get a degree from this school, succeeding, and getting good grades. He is even competing with the brightest [in his class].”

Alla records lessons on his phone and later memorizes and recites them in class.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Alaa Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“Education is everything. I don’t like to see anyone leave school.”

The brothers both have ambitions of one day becoming Arabic teachers, but the first objective is to finish school.

UPSOUND (Arabic) Ahmad Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“I am good at Arabic.”

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmad Al Aansour, Syrian Refugee:
“I would like to write but I don’t know how.”

The brothers know their journey is paved with obstacles, but that is not stopping them.

The World Health Organization estimates that 15 per cent of the world’s population has some form of disability. Monday (3 Dec) marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which this year focuses on empowering those with disabilities and ensuring inclusivity and equality.