War and challenging living conditions often cause children to drop out of the education system. Children from refugee communities who do not attend school are at higher risk of child labor and early marriage. Education offers them a chance for a better future.
We have been working in Lebanon for several years, focusing on helping children from Syrian and impoverished Lebanese communities in three areas: the Shatila refugee camp in eastern Beirut, Tripoli, and the northern region of Akkar, which borders Syria. Our goal was to get children back into school.
Many of these children lived in difficult conditions—often without even their own bed. Local schools lacked basic supplies, despite education being a vital key to a better life. Children from refugee families struggled academically and faced difficulties with exams because they missed school, did not speak the language well, or found the teaching methods, especially in subjects like mathematics, unfamiliar or difficult.
Tutoring and Meaningful Activities at Summer School
Thanks to donations collected through Real Gift, we organized a summer school in Akkar for 50 children aged 7 to 15, including 31 girls. Over four weeks, they worked to catch up on subjects they had struggled with during the previous school year. The curriculum mainly focused on mathematics, science, Arabic, and French. We paid four teachers, each delivering 40 hours of instruction—two hours a day, five days a week.
International volunteers also organized one hour of recreational activities each day at the R&R Peace Centre, serving Syrian and Lebanese children and families. We provided the center with a professional copier, enabling teachers to print teaching materials for the summer program, as well as office supplies for preparing and planning lessons for the upcoming school year.
According to the teachers, the tutoring not only helped children improve in subjects they previously found difficult but also fostered a genuine interest in learning. Many children, thanks to the patient approach of the teachers, started to enjoy subjects more and became motivated to learn.
Helping Children and Parents in Tripoli
At the education center in Tripoli, we helped children aged 4 to 6 prepare for entry into Lebanese public schools. Teacher A’ala summed up the importance of preschool education:
"Without us, these children wouldn’t have a chance to go to school. When they come to us, they don’t even know how to hold a pen. By the end of our program, they can read and write simple words in Arabic, French, or English, count, and understand basic social behavior."
We also supported children aged 6 to 10 in overcoming learning difficulties, transporting them safely from their homes to the center, providing educational materials, aids, and daily snacks. For older youth, we offered vocational courses in four fields: nursing assistant, teaching assistant, beautician, and hotelier, serving 187 young people aged 16 to 26.
Recognizing that development and learning also depend on support at home, we held regular meetings with 66 parents to help them better understand and support their children’s needs.
Support larger education projects with a Happy class gift. Other educational gifts, such as Blackboard for school, School supplies, and Healthy lunch, also help improve students’ learning experience.
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