With education comes opportunity

When Malak’s father was killed in the war in Syria, she fled to Lebanon along with her mother, two brothers, and her sister. Since arriving in Lebanon, the family has been struggling to make ends meet.

The country is facing a combination of crises that have contributed to economic collapse, including political turmoil, a refugee crisis, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The explosion in the port of Beirut just made things worse for Malak’s family. Malak had already dropped out of school so her mother could spend the tuition fees on other needs. To cope with their increased financial stress, they had to reduce their meat intake from once a week to only every few months. Malak’s mother also washes laundry by hand to save on electricity.

With support from the Humanitarian Coalition, Save the Children worked to support adolescent girls in Lebanon to remain in school, to strengthen their resilience and well-being, and to develop employable skills.

Through her participation in Save the Children’s program, Malak showed great enthusiasm during her activities and is now motivated to continue her education. The livelihood counselling services and mental health support Malak received also allowed her to gain confidence to set long term life goals.

She is dreaming of being a successful chef!

“I learned many new skills such as understanding my emotions and working through them, and problem solving. The facilitators helped me create a plan to achieve my ambitions. With these classes I regained what I had lost and added to my knowledge,” she says.

The program provided her with English language skills, digital skills, and life skills which have prepared her for the job market.

“I wouldn’t have achieved this if it wasn’t for Save the Children’s program.”