Témoignage au sein du camp de Shatila

Inside a Palestinian refugee camp

Ahmed Halimeh is a science teacher in a UN-run school for Palestinian refugees. Out of school he does social work for a non-governmental organisation he co-founded.

I have taught generations of children in Shatila camp. We have hardly enough time and resources to give them the education they need. The schools work double shifts, with two schools of about 300 pupils sharing one building - they take it in turns to have lessons in early morning or the evening. If children drop out of school, I see it as my duty to go and visit the family and try to persuade them to return. Education is the best weapon the Palestinian refugees have, their only weapon.

I have lived through the worst times in this camp. When we were under siege in the War of the Camps, I went from house to house to make sure people had food and water. Conditions were absolutely inhuman. Now times are better and the Shia militiamen who used to shoot at us are now our neighbours. I still see the sniper who used to fire at me in the market. We say hello to each other - I will never point him out to my son, in case he wants to take revenge!