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Founded in 2011, “Teach a Child” has covered the tuition fees of over 4000 Lebanese children in need. Since 2019, this association has been working hard to keep education at the forefront despite the economic crisis.
“This year, I will obtain my Chinese translation license. I will then travel to China and continue my studies there. I was able to get a scholarship,” says Diana, a 21-year-old Beiruti.
This young lady from a modest family was able to obtain her diploma thanks to “Teach a Child”, an association that paid her tuition fees and those of her younger brother and sister. “Without such assistance, I would have had to quit school or work to be able to finance my tuition fees. Like many other families here, we are trying hard to survive in difficult times”, she adds.
Diana is one of 4000 young people to have received help from “Teach a Child” since its inception in 2011. Apart from tuition fees, this NGO covers school transportation, uniforms, and supplies for children in need, regardless of their origin or ethnicity.
“Teach a Child” was born as the war was raging in Syria. “Given the influx of Syrians in Lebanon, NGOs have turned their attention to these refugees,” explains Zaina Souaid, the association’s treasurer. “In the meantime, Lebanese people living in deplorable conditions found themselves helpless.” By Lebanese law, each child has the right to free education in an elementary school. A legislation from March 16th, 1998, stipulates that “education is free of charge and mandatory at the elementary level.” In 2011, this law was amended, and education became compulsory until the age of 15. Sabah Outtayyek, the person in charge of the social aid department at Collège des Apôtres de Jounieh since 2015, expresses her frustration: “No one abides by this law in our country, unfortunately. That is because schools are not subsidized by the State.”
“Teach a Child” aims to remedy this situation. Mrs. Souaid insists: “Going to school is a right. We are simply trying to safeguard this right.” In times of crisis, the first thing people think about is basic medical treatment. Therefore, education is hampered, although it is key to building the future of the new generation”. Zaina Souaid calls for a long-term vision, convinced as she is that children’s access to education is crucial to the development of society.
A 10% yearly increase
In its beginnings, this apolitical and non-confessional organization supported some fifty students all over Lebanon. The figures have then increased by approximately 10% every year. During the 2022–2023 school year, 930 children were given access to 210 different schools in all areas of the country.
A year ago, Collège des Apôtres de Jounieh struck a partnership with “Teach a Child”. Of the 1300 children who study there, 500 receive financial aid. Last year, Sabah Outtayyek submitted the files of 15 students to the NGO. “Eight were accepted, mostly orphans or children whose parents are ill,” she explains to Ici Beyrouth.
“Teach a Child” makes it its mission to accompany the young beneficiaries throughout their curriculum. “The only reason to stop financing the education of a child is if they fail more than once,” Zeina Souaid states. The NGO in question also provides special care to young girls because “in Arab countries, they are discriminated against in terms of access to education,” she adds. These young females make up 58% of the NGO’s beneficiaries.
Growing needs in times of crisis
The economic and financial crises, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, have drowned countless families in precarity and are threatening their children’s education. According to the association’s treasurer, demand has recently “doubled, even tripled.” “Before the crisis, we used to assist underprivileged families. Now, countless families from the middle class need help too,” Sabah Outtayyek confirms. “Some families had never knocked on our door before 2019. They are all in need now.”
The association now has no other option but to shortlist the applications it receives. “It is terrible, but it’s all a question of budget,” Zeina Souaid says, with a good deal of frustration. Since 2019, she has been observing a general increase in school tuition fees in Lebanon. Initially at $400 per year for each child, she believes that the average budget will go up to $550 next year for many reasons. The first is linked to the inflation that is forcing institutions like Collège des Apôtres de Jounieh to increase their tuition fees in order to pay their staff members’ salaries. The second reason is that “Teach a Child” mostly assists students from private schools, as teachers in public institutions often declare strikes because of the crisis. Hence, during the 2022–2023 school year, 39% of the NGO’s beneficiaries went to private establishments. They were just 25% last year. Even if private schools’ tuition fees are higher, they are less affected by the crisis, which guarantees better continuity when it comes to the children’s education.
In this context, “Teach a Child” hopes to raise awareness among the Lebanese and the diaspora on the crucial role of education in order to receive the necessary funds to meet the needs of students for the upcoming year. The estimated budget for the 2023–2024 academic year is $600,000, almost double the budget compared to last year. Zaina Souaid is worried, to say the least: “If we don’t manage to secure the extra funds, we might have to accept fewer newcomers, as our priority is to educate the children who are already with us.”
The association will organize a gala dinner in Beirut on July 18th in an effort to raise the necessary funds.
