A cut above: Meet Areej

Areej’s future was uncertain. Like many young Syrians, her opportunities were limited by conflict. Now, she’s building new skills at a vocational training centre in Salamieh that is helping young people in crisis forge a path to work and stability.

Education Civil Society

Aga Khan Foundation | 13 June 2025

This work is part of the Aga Khan Development Network’s (AKDN) broader commitment to supporting the Syrian people through initiatives that uphold dignity, rebuild lives and livelihoods, and lay the foundations for long-term recovery – support that has now been deepened through the Ismaili Imamat’s €100 million pledge for Syria’s development.

With a decades-long presence in Syria, AKDN’s work spans education, health, economic opportunity and climate resilience. Our approach is rooted in local leadership and guided by a commitment to peace, pluralism and a people-first vision of development – fostering resilience among all Syrians and ensuring that the most vulnerable have the tools and opportunities to lead their own recovery.

From 2019 to 2024, with financial support from the Government of Canada and in partnership with World University Service of Canada, the Adolescent Girls’ Education in Crisis Initiative (AGENCI) worked with local communities in South Sudan, Syria and Uganda. The programme reached more than 120,000 adolescent girls and young women – over 50,000 of them in Syria.

Learn more about AGENCI