Education opportunities for 200 Palestinian Refuge

Background during and after the implementation of the project; The high number of refugee children out of school is an immediate crisis. Education is a fundamental right. Under international law, all children in Lebanon—including Syrian refugees—have a legal right to free and compulsory primary education, and access to secondary education without discrimination. Education is also crucial to protecting children in situations of displacement, which can last an entire childhood. The longer children remain out of school, the less likely they are to finish their education. Syrian refugees in Lebanon are taking extraordinary measures to ensure that their children get an education. Parents have moved closer to schools that might let their children enroll and slid into debt to pay for documents, school materials, and transportation. One refugee who was unable to enroll her children in Lebanon temporarily took them back to Syria to do so. “It was an easy decision,” she said. A 9-year-old girl who was unable to enroll in school after arriving in Lebanon set up a small blackboard under a tree and started teaching the younger children in her refugee camp what she remembered from her first grade class in Syria.

Naba’a Achievements;

-          800 Children were provided equal opportunity in education through the educational projects in North and South Lebanon. The children benefited from educational activities, learning support in school, accelerated learning program and vocational training. In addition, we focused also on building children’s self esteem, building their capacities on conflict resolution, communication and a package of life skills. Around 60 teachers benefited from trainings on active learning methodologies, where Naba’a mobile training unit implemented the training.

-          During this period we also worked to increase the participation of children and young people in their communities, so that a great number of the children and young adolescents empowered with skills that enable them to work actively with in their communities, promote their rights and inspire other children and adolescents.

-          Finally, the early child development program is carried out in Naba’a centers which provide safe environment for 200 children and their parents to address their psychological problems and to protect them from abuse.

Case Study;

Child Name: G – L

Age: 14 Years

Situation;

-          Her father is married from another women and living far from her

-          Her Mother is also married and living far from her

-          The girl is living with her grand family with her brother

The difficult situation;

G – L is living with her grand family together with her brother, her mother and father are divorced. G – L is 14 years old and she is in the 7^th grade. She is suffering from educational difficulties since no one is looking after her and follow up her educationally. All her friends are male, as she doesn’t like to have a female friends. G – L needs a lot of caring and regular follow up, as she is at risk of abuse and risky behaviors.

Economical Situation; The father and grand father are working in a grocery shop, and they get a fair enough income to support the family.

Social Situation; The family is living in a house consisting of three rooms.

Health Situation; The grand family (Grand father and Grand mother) are suffering from Diabetes, blood pressure, heart problems, etc…) whom they need adult person to take care of them.

Naba’a Intervention;

-          Home visits for the family

-          Follow up questionnaire including the whole information of the girl and the family

-          Supporting lessons through the remedial teachers

-          Recreational and Psychosocial activities

-          Deeply following up of the girl

Initial Changes towards Naba’a intervention;

-          The girl started to be committed in attending the educational and other recreational activities

-          She feels more interested to attend the school

-          She needs more follow up

Background during and after the implementation of the project; As we enter 2016, the refugee crisis in Lebanon is not improving; particularly this can be seen as the Syrian crisis enters year five.  Using the most recent UNRWA and UNHCR figures as a foundation, on 30th  November 2015 UNHCR has a recorded a total of 1,070,789 Syrian refugees from Syria, while as of 31st  October UNHCR has recorded a total 44,227 Palestine refugees from Syria.^[1]  These refugees are dispersed throughout the country, and while their basic needs may differ from location to location. According to the Vulnerability Assessment Framework conducted by UNHCR, approximately 25% of Lebanon’s current population is refugees from Syria^[2]. Regarding the situation of the children,

Thus the PRL are not the only ones who are suffering from the education crisis which is deepened by the new refugees. Below you will find a number of barriers the refugee children from Syria are facing while trying to access the educational system in Lebanon:

1. Lack of space in public schools and overstretched resources
2. Cost of tuition fees and transportation
3. PRS and SRS families would like to enrol their children but cannot afford the extra cost of around 100,000 Lebanese pounds (US$66) per month for transportation
4. Differences between Lebanese and Syrian curriculum, including language barriers (The Syrian school system is entirely run in Arabic, while Lebanese schools teach math and sciences in either English or French)
5. Safety concerns of Syrian parents
6. Limited psychosocial support to help traumatized children and few children able to access a summer school and psychosocial support programme
7. Many Syrian children are being placed in lower grades than the ones they attended in Syria.

Naba’a Achievements;

200 Children (inside Schools and dropout of schools) were provided equal opportunity in education. The children benefited from educational activities, learning support for children whom are enrolled inside UNRWA schools. In addition, the children participated in the following life skills and psychosocial activities;

-          Self – Esteem and building the personality of the children, through a pack of psychosocial activities, by using structured activities (I DEAL and Little Deal Methodology).  

-          Conflict resolution, communication and a package of life skills.

-          Friday recreational activities (Drawing, arts, folk, sport, etc…)

-          Supporting lessons (4 days per week) by using learning active tools.

-          Name : A . S

-          Age : 8 years old  

-          The family consist of 5 members the father , the mother, 3 daughters and 1 son .  The child is orphan his mother is dead  

-          Nationality : Palestinian Refugee from Syria

-          Case : Learning difficulties   

The child lives with her father and her brothers , no one care for her , the father is the only provider for the family , he has handicap and can`t work to satisfy his family needs . The mother was sick and passed away , the family getting aids and support from NGOs and UNRWA. The education levels of the child is very weak also there is no care for the hygiene of the child ,  this makes her teacher and friends refuses her.   Concerning to all this the child become aggressive with her friends.  

The economical situation :   The father was working in collecting junk but now he depend on Aids from Al Nagda Organization ( food kit , UNRWA Aids ) . 

The social situation  :  The family members live in a house consist of 3 rooms , unsuitable to live in it . 

The healthy situation :  The father has a physical disability due to the  war in Syria . The child has healthy problem in her ear and she need surgery , but according to their economical situation , they can`t do it . 

Naba’a Intervention

Regularly home visits and enroll their children in the educational support program, where she is participating in the educational and psychosocial activities.  

o   Providing financial aids for the family  

o   Renovation for the house  

Noticeable Changes :  

o   The commitment of the children in the daily attendance to the center .

o   The improvement of the child at the educational level and her commitment in the school.   

[1]http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=122

[2]VASyR Report 2015; http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/admin/download.php?id=10006