Love of Korean pop links UK teenagers with refugees
LONDON — The sugary pop songs of Republic of Korea groups BTS, EXO and BlackPink might be sung in Korean but it has not stopped Palestinian refugee teenager Tasnim from being an avid fan from her home in war-torn Syria.
To Tasnim’s surprise, it is a love shared by students at London’s Connaught School for Girls with whom her school in Damascus holds Skype calls as part of a project to connect refugee students in the Middle East with European and US pupils.
“My favorite kind of music is K-pop music, Korean music,” said Tasnim during a recent video call, sitting alongside classmates from two schools in the Syrian capital run by aid agency United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency.
“Do you like BTS?” 14-yearold British student Asiya replied, before excited chatter erupts between the two groups about their favorite ‘K-pop’ performers.
“Did you hear their latest song? Do you like BlackPink?” said Tasnim, wearing a white hijab, as does Asiya in London.
More than half a million Palestinian refugee students attend 700 UNRWA schools across Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, the aid agency says.
“Even though we are worlds apart ... we’re all teenagers, so we found some common ground,” said Asiya, who volunteered to join the ‘My Voice, My School’ project run by UNRWA and social enterprise Digital Explorer to learn more about refugees.
UNRWA said it supports 5.3 million Palestinians across the Middle East, including in Gaza and the West Bank.
But the US, the agency’s biggest donor, said last month it would withhold about half of a $125 million aid package after President Donald Trump questioned the value of such funding amid a widening rift with Palestinian leaders.
UNRWA has launched a global campaign for countries and private donors to help it deal with the shortfall.
Seven countries — Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Russia — had already transferred early funds while four — Belgium, Kuwait, the Netherlands and Ireland — had pledged to do so soon, the agency said last week.
“Our education is at risk because of a funding reduction,” Palestinian refugee Mulham, 14, told students in London, asking for their support to ensure they have access to education.
British student Asiya said hearing about Mulham’s and Tasnim’s circumstances firsthand has made her appreciate her education and inspired her to do more.
“Although we sometimes complain a lot about school, we found that their situation is a lot worse and we should be grateful for what we have,” she said.