Aiming at facilitating the movement of persons with special needs across faculties and education centers in Aleppo University, a group of youths volunteered to install 35 cement ramps.

The youth-led initiative (YLI) was supervised by the volunteers of the Syrian Society for Social Development and funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The 10 youths were from Aleppo City and formed a self-managed group, 4 of them were experienced in calculating the dimensions and degrees of the ramps and determining their locations, while the rest were experienced in building up the ramps.

The YLI aimed at encouraging students with special needs to carry on with their higher education, improve their lifestyle, and make them feel the care and support of the community.

The administrative staff of Aleppo University was very cooperative. The target students expressed their gratitude for the initiative. “From now on, I can easily move around campus without worrying about any difficulties and without asking anyone for help. I can go up the stairs on my own. I can carry on with my education without worrying about my whereabouts,” as put by one of the special needs students.