Ihmayed's story of education through UNRWA
Ihmayed Ali is a Palestine refugee who grew up in Lebanon, where he received UNRWA services. He is now a proud member of the UNRWA Alumni of North America and is a contributing guest writer to the Voices of UNRWA blog, where he shares his personal story of how he went from growing up in a cramped refugee camp near Baalbeck to being a successful biomedical engineer in Canada.
My name is Ihmayed Ali and I am a Palestine refugee from Lebanon. I am a father of three and a grandfather to four young children. I currently work as a Biomedical Engineer at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, Canada.
In 1948, my parents were expelled from Palestine to Wavel Camp in Lebanon, where I was born seven years later. We lived under poor conditions in one room with no electricity, water, kitchen, or bathroom. At that time, UNRWA was the only resource for Palestine refugees in the camp in need of social services, education, and healthcare.
“UNRWA provided me with the opportunity to gain an education and enabled me to earn multiple degrees...all my children graduated from Concordia University in Montreal and could not have reached their educational goals had it not been for the educational and employment opportunities UNRWA provided me.”
My family strongly believed that education was the only tool to build our future democratic, independent country of Palestine. However, Palestinians were not admitted to public schools in Lebanon and my parents could not afford private education. As UNRWA only provided education through the ninth grade at the time, I had little hope that I could complete school. Out of desperation and a desire to finish my education, I joined UNRWA’s Vocational Education College in Siblin, Lebanon.
Ihmayed with community leaders at Siblin College, 1998.
In 1973, I earned a certification in Electronics. After graduating from Siblin, I was accepted into the Electrical Engineering program at the University of Damascus in Syria. To pay for school, I worked on a part time basis with UNRWA as a telephone operator. Following graduation, UNRWA offered me another opportunity to work as a Senior Instructor at Damascus Training Centre. I was passionate to contribute and see other refugees succeed and learn.
In 1986, I was promoted to the position of Educational Specialist at UNRWA HQ, Amman. In this role, I was responsible for preparing curricula and instructional materials, and providing on-the-job training for instructors. In 1989, I earned a two-year diploma in Education from Jordan University.
With UNRWA’s then Commissioner General, Peter Hansen.
My main motivation was to support as many young Palestinians as possible by giving them hope and helping them build their future. I served as the D/Principal and then Principal at UNRWA Siblin Training Centre in Lebanon for eight years. Thanks to generous donations provided by the people of the United States, I was able to develop and build laboratories and computer labs, while establishing extra short-term courses. This gave hope to hundreds of students attending Siblin College.
Ihmayed and his family at his daughter’s university graduation ceremony in 2014.
In 2001, I returned to Jordan and earned a Masters degree in Vocational Education. As there is no path to citizenship for Palestine refugees, I immigrated to Canada in 2005 to give my children a better future.
In Canada, I studied and finished many courses in Biomedical Engineering, which facilitated my path to join McGill University Health Centre and to serve the community.
UNRWA provided me with the opportunity to gain an education and enabled me to earn multiple degrees. I now hold a B.Sc in Electrical Engineering, a Diploma in Rehabilitation Education, a Diploma in Electronics, several certifications in Biomedical Engineering, and a Masters degree in Education. My daughter Laila has earned her Masters degree in Educational Technology; my son Yousef earned a B.SC in Computer Science; and Samah, my youngest daughter, earned a BA in Human Resources. All my children graduated from Concordia University in Montreal and would not have reached their educational goals had it not been for the educational and employment opportunities UNRWA provided me.
Without UNRWA’s educational programs and humanitarian services, I would not have been able to achieve my goals and offer my family a better life. I think that thousands of other Palestinian families would be in a far worse situation as well. As a matter of fact, without UNRWA’s support, Palestinian refugees’ future will be jeopardized.
Are you also an UNRWA alum based in the US or Canada? Join Ihmayed and many others as a member of the UNRWA alumni association. It’s free and takes only a few minutes to connect with community you’ll connect with for a lifetime.