Rayak & Anjar Learning Centres

For years, the partner organisation Middle East Revive and Thrive (MERATH) has collaborated with local evangelical churches to provide food, livelihood development, and educational support to Syrian refugees. Since 2019, with support from the organisation, MERATH has been operating two educational centres (referred to as centres) in the Bekaa region, which has the lowest enrolment rates in the country. These centres offer approved foundational Arabic, English, science, and math courses and extracurricular activities such as sports, music, or crafts to pave the way for refugee children’s future enrolment in formal schools. The centres serve as places of knowledge transfer and safe spaces where children can recover from their traumatic experiences through trauma-informed education. Centre staff witness the improvement in children’s personal character and peer relationships, as many children find their best friends at the centre and learn to support and love their classmates. The healthy growth of these children is the greatest gift amidst their parents’ challenging circumstances.

Bayane, from Rayak, Syria, cherishes every opportunity for education, just like over 400 other benefiting students. Last year, Lebanon implemented a lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the closure of the centres for several months. During this time, Bayane was disappointed and cried. However, the centre’s teachers quickly adapted by shifting classes online and utilising mobile communication apps to send instructional videos, voice notes, and other teaching materials to each student’s family. Some teachers even received immediate training to incorporate games into distance learning. We were delighted to see the effectiveness of our partner’s response, allowing students to continue learning during the shutdown.

At the time of writing, the centre has resumed in-person classes. As the only literate person in her family, Bayane has become a great help in handling documents and other complex tasks at home. No wonder her grandfather expressed his gratitude, saying, ‘Thank God we have her! We hope she learns even more things on her journey of growth!’