Education for All: 500 Refugee Children Enrolled in Lebanon

Upholding the Inalienable Right to Learn

In informal tented settlements and marginalized suburbs across Lebanon, a compounding economic crisis poses an existential threat to the education of displaced youth. Thousands of Syrian and Palestinian refugee children have been forced out of schooling due to steep transportation costs, prohibitive supply expenses, and public infrastructure strain.

Since September 2024, EFDI's emergency schooling initiative has been operational across the Bekaa Valley and southern Beirut. To date, 500 girls and boys aged 6 to 14 have returned to structured classrooms.

A Holistic Educational Support Framework

To ensure sustainable retention and prevent early dropout, EFDI's intervention goes far beyond administrative registration:

• Rehabilitation of 12 Safe Learning Spaces equipped with clean solar power and winter climate control.
• Comprehensive School Supplies Distribution including textbooks, notebooks, backpacks, and warm winter footwear.
• Secure School Commute Services for children residing in isolated settlements more than 5 kilometers away from partner schools.
• Daily Psychosocial First Aid facilitated by trained volunteer counselors to support children processing displacement trauma.

Voices from the Classroom

Nadia, pedagogical director at one of the partner learning centers in Zahlé, notes the profound transformation witnessed over recent weeks:

"When they first arrived, many children would not speak or make eye contact. Today, they raise their hands, write essays, and rediscover a safe daily rhythm that shields them from child labor or early marriage."

Scaling Up Our Reach

Building on this success, EFDI is mobilizing supporters to expand the program to an additional 500 students ahead of the spring 2025 semester. Every child sponsorship covers a full year of academic fees, educational materials, and healthcare follow-up.