How do you go to school when education is out of reach?
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Lebanon has 856,530 registered Syrian refugees. During the 2018-2019 school year, less than half of the 660,000 school-age Syrian children in Lebanon could go to school.
With access to education already out of reach to most Syrian refugee children, the situation worsened during the 2019-2020 school year, with widespread protests and the COVID-19 outbreak forcing school closures.
Out of the current Syrian refugee demographic, approximately 90% of households are living in extreme poverty, an increase of 45% from early 2019. The UN estimates that these households live on less than half of the Lebanese minimum wage (US$450 a month), depriving them access to basic necessities like food, healthcare and a basic education. What makes the situation even more dire is the sharp drop in informal employment opportunities due to the pandemic, forcing refugees into bigger debts.
To combat this crisis, Global Ehsan Relief established School in a Bus for affected Syrian refugee children, together with international partners.
Today, our School in a Bus travels around the refugee camp in Lebanon as a mobile school for 104 children aged 6 to 14. This mobile classroom is the first step in ensuring these children are equipped with Basic Literacy and Numeracy (BLN) skills, to assist them in progressing into the Lebanese education system, and ensuring that they are prepared for the Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) available in the region.
Additionally, the school bus also offers psychosocial support, vocational skills, social cohesion and nourishing meals.
Education is the crucial key that unlocks numerous different opportunities. It is a way out of the poverty cycle, a driving force for social change, and is a prominent aspect of personal development and welfare. With education, these children are able to pave a better life and future for them and their families.
We need your support to keep the school running. We hope to fill the education gap, to give support to those who have missed out on educational opportunities and give them the support they require to progress in life. Join us in our efforts to provide an access to quality education for this disadvantaged group of children who would otherwise not have access to schooling.
