ABSTRACT
Unlike the Sahrawi children cited inChapter 4, who have long dreamt of travelling to Cuba to become doctors, 1 most of the Cuban-educated Palestinians interviewed in their home-camps in Lebanon reflected that they had not chosen to travel to Cuba to pursue their studies. As noted by Ahmed and Mohammed, having completed their primary and secondary level educations at camp-based schools run by UNRWA and/or the PLO, or at subsidised Lebanese schools, their original preference had reportedly been to complete their university degrees in Lebanon. 2
I wanted to study in Lebanon, but I was not able to [pay the university fees and other costs] due to my family’s financial situation. After completing my baccalaureate [in Tripoli, North Lebanon] I waited for two years until I received the scholarship to study in Cuba. In effect, I chose Cuba because it was the only available option during that time.
(Ahmed, 57-year-old doctor running his own private medical clinic, Baddawi Camp; emphasis added)I was not able to start my university education then [when I completed my baccalaureate in Southern Lebanon] due to our social circumstances. I was finally granted a [full] scholarship in 1979, but I didn’t choose to study in Cuba: it was the only option which was offered to me.
(Mohammed, 56-year-old civil engineer employed by UNRWA, Beirut; emphais added)