Breaking barriers to education: can hygiene awareness lead the way?
Amidst the onset of the economic crisis in Lebanon towards the end of 2019, compounded by the COVID-19 outbreak, the education sector in the country faces significant challenges. These include frequent closures of public schools due to teacher strikes, as well as the difficulty for parents to afford tuition fees, hindering their ability to enrol their children in school. Additionally, transportation often emerges as a significant hurdle in accessing education.
Under a project funded by the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF), World Vision is implementing a retention programme in Akkar for Lebanese and Syrian refugee children to provide crucial support for their studies, facilitating the learning process and complementing their school curriculum.
Lama, a 14-year-old Lebanese girl living in Akkar, shares a home with her six brothers and sisters. Her father lost his job a while ago, and her parents are doing their best to provide for the family, with the help of her older brother, who is contributing as well. With the educational support she received from World Vision, Lama expressed her gratitude: "I felt confident during my final exams at school because of the support I received from the retention programme here at the center." The center helped Lama successfully complete and pass grade 7. In addition, she attended hygiene awareness sessions. "I have learned that maintaining good hygiene reduces my risk of getting sick, which means I won't miss any classes where I can benefit from the lessons. I always shower and brush my teeth, and this definitely helps," adds Lama.
Lama believes in the importance of truth and is determined to help uncover it when others cannot and aspires to be an investigator.
Farhan, a 12-year-old Syrian refugee, is the older brother of a younger sister and a brother. they live with their parents, who struggle to meet their basic needs. Farhan is in the 4th grade and strives to be a role model for his siblings, shares, "Today we learned the importance of not causing harm or bullying others because it can hurt their feelings. Additionally, we've learned important practices that are crucial for protecting us from germs and preventing illness such as the importance of showering every morning and brushing our teeth before school, change our socks and underwear daily, and wear clean clothes.
His words reflected not just the lesson taught but also the values he was embracing, ones that spoke to personal hygiene. Farhan dreams of becoming a teacher, inspired by his favourite math teacher. “In the retention programme, my grades have improved significantly, now my grades consistently reach 18 over 20 or above," adds Farhan. It’s not just the retention programme that contributes to Farhan’s academic progress. By consistently practicing good hygiene, which he has already learned during the session, Farhan can enhance his health and prevent illness. Maintaining good hygiene keeps him healthy, preventing illness and allowing him to avoid taking sick days off school, which helps him improve his grades.
In March 2024, World Vision through a project funded by the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF) reached 995 children in their retention programme. Among them, 216 boys received hygiene kits, while 299 girls received both hygiene and menstrual kits.
World Vision is determined to to support students facing obstacles on their educational journey by providing hygiene and menstrual awareness sessions to ensure their overall well-being.