In 1919, Poulleau was offered a teaching post in Alexandria, Egypt, and she took that opportunity to travel to Damascus, Syria, where she founded a college for young girls. She was living in Damascus during the Syrian people's revolt against French control; she later wrote "riots broke out in Syria, which were very harshly suppressed by the French army." During her years there, she wrote two books: "In Damascus under the bombs (1926)", which was banned by French authorities for distribution in countries, like Syria, under French mandate, and "Seven stories from Syria (1927)."