Refugee Olympic swimmer

https://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2019/1/5c3c6e054/syrian-refugee-strives-to-make-a-splash-at-tokyo-olympics.html

Eid Aljazairli wants to take part in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo as a swimmer. He is 24 years old and only learned to swim in the last year. Eid is a refugee from Damascus where he left because of war. In London he lives with a family you can see in the photo.

When Eid travelled to Britain in a boat he couldn't swim and during the journey the boast ran in to trouble. Eid says he thought he would die but he made it. He was later inspired by a video of Michael Phelps on youtube and decided to learn to swim.

When he first went swimming Eid could not do it He says he tried again and again and got angry and sad, but he never gave up and kept going back. He watched a swimming coach teaching a group and copied what they were doing. The coach noticed Eid coming back again and again and gave him a pair of goggles. Another coach then gave him a free lesson. Eid says he felt "Happiness in his heart" as he was able to learn to swim. The first time Eid swam a full length he remembers seeing the coach in a green vest screaming at him to not give up and when he touched the wall the whole pool erupted in cheers.

The coaches were impressed with his effort and attitude and invited Eid to join swimming lessons. He put so much effort in, training for hours each day, that he became very good. He started entering competitions and winning medals. In October last year the Olympic committee announced there would be a refugee team at the games and now Eid has a goal.

Eid is studying English and Maths at a local college, he says, "I'm proud to be a refugee but I'm not just that, I'm a dreamer. We are people, we are doctors, engineers... when someone loses their home people think they are nothing, that they have no future. But no, we are just people, we are all the same."

What do you see in the picture?
What do you notice about the family on the top picture?
What do you think is the link between the two pictures?

explain the story

- what is a refugee? (someone who has to leave their home to be safe)
- Why do you think Eid started swimming?
- why was it so hard for him? Why didn't he give up?
- how do you think Eid felt when someone gave him goggles?
- why do you think that person gave him goggles?
- why do you think the pool erupted when Eid swam his first length? What does that mean?
- Why do you think Eid has a lot of support? What does that show about how lots of people feel about refugees in the UK today?
- Why do you think the Olympics has a refugee team?
- why do you think Eid wants to make the Olympic team?
- Eid says refugees are people; "We are doctors, engineers" why is he saying that?
- "we are just people, we are all the same" what does he mean?
- What can we learn from Eid?
- what can we learn from the coaches in the swimming pool?
- why is this story about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the equality act in primary schools by Andrew Moffat

Reclaiming radiocal ideas in schools: Preparing young children from life in modern Britain by Andrew Moffat