Zahra Al-Yassin

Syrian educator maintaining schools during Aleppo's war

Zahra Al-Yassin became an international symbol of resilience as she kept schools open during the siege of Aleppo, Syria. A teacher and principal in one of Syria's oldest cities, she refused to abandon her students despite relentless bombing and extreme hardships. Born in 1964, she spent decades teaching in government-run schools before the Syrian Civil War erupted in 2011.

When Aleppo was divided into government and opposition-held zones, Zahra turned her home into a makeshift school in 2012. Using chalkboards on walls and desks made from cement blocks, she taught 40 children daily while bombs fell. Her story gained global attention through BBC reports and documentary footage, showing her leading lessons in basements during air raids. In 2014, she was among the first recipients of the Guinness World Record for teaching in a bomb shelter.

Zahra's efforts inspired the Aleppo Education Support Initiative, which now operates mobile schools across Syria. She continued teaching until 2016 when government forces retook the city, and later became an advocate for education in conflict zones through UNICEF partnerships. Her memoir 《Lessons in the Shadow of Bombs》 details her experiences and vision for post-war Syria's education system.

Though lesser-known internationally than other Syrian activists, Zahra's work directly impacted over 2,000 children who continued their education during the war. Her determination to maintain normalcy through education earned her the Right to Education Prize in 2017. Today she trains teachers to work in conflict areas, ensuring her legacy lives on in Syria's next generation.