Khadra Inad Biznjan is a 12-year-old girl living in Taanayel, and one of the participants in the Basic Literacy and Numeracy (BLN) classes being provided by the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST), in cooperation with UNICEF. Khadra is a very shy and introverted student who struggles and hesitates to answer any question asked by her teachers.
At the beginning of the cycle, Khadra had little to no self-confidence, where she never asked questions during classes, as well as never asked for help from anyone, no matter the situation. During the cycle, Khadra was being supported and encouraged by her teachers, as she was being motivated by her peers who were always around. Several approaches have been used for the sake of breaking the walls Khadra built around herself, those that have always affected her educational journey and everyday relationships in life.
After a few months, Khadra’s improvement was too fast and great to be neglected. Khadra has come a long way; she became very interactive and made lots of friendships. Moreover, teachers saw a notable increase in Khadra’s grades, her willingness to work with groups, and ability to memorize letters and numbers, days of the week, and months of the year both in Arabic and English. One way teachers used to boost Khadra’s self-esteem and confidence was giving her small tasks, like making her the person in charge of distributing books to her friends in class. By saying names out loud and taking responsibility, the ice between Khadra and everyone was broken, and her self-confidence skyrocketed.
Khadra’s experience is one proof that believing in a child is what makes the child believe in him/herself, and nothing can help a child learn more than a supporting environment. Khadra had the desire to learn and open up to people, and with LOST’s assistance, she indeed succeeded.