The Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education fund has announced the grantees of a second round of funding totalling AED 25 million ($6.8m) that will go to out-of-school refugees in Jordan and Lebabon, it was announced.
The grantees include the Emirates Red Crescent, UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency and Relief International in Jordan, and Unite Lebanon Youth Project (ULYP), Beit Atfal, Assumoud, Alfanar, Digital Opportunity Trust and War Child Holland in Lebanon.
The announcement coincides with the beginning the new academic year.
“We believe that education is just as important for refugee youth as food and shelter. It is not just a basic right and necessity, but also a tool for recovery,” said Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair.
Al Ghurair added that the eight grantees will support over 10,000 refugees, with a focus on secondary-level and vocational education.
“Going back to school partially restores normalcy for the young people and enables them to obtain knowledge and skills that will help them chart a successful career path and earn a sustainable income,” he said. “Furthermore, education transforms lives and contributes to building holistic and progressive communities.”
English language courses
As part of the programme, the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Education Fund will help the UNHCR enrol over 1,000 students in English language courses and support 700 non-Syrian refuges with tuition fees. Another grantee in Jordan will provide 600 students who have dropped out of school with access to a government-accredited non-formal education programme.
In Lebanon, one of the grantees, Al Fanar, will support 3,000 grade 8 and 9 refugees as they prepare for their 9th grade entrance exams. Meanwhile, Digital Trust will prepare 2,400 young refugees for employment by enrolling them in courses accredited by Cisco, Google, Facebook and Microsoft.
In the UAE, the fund will work with the Emirates Red Crescent to finance the school fees of 400 out-of-school children in the country.
“Now more than ever, the private sector needs to come together to create platforms to provide quality, inclusive and equitable education to refugees and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all,” Al Ghurair added. “We should encourage partnerships between governments, businesses and individuals in boosting available local resources for education.”
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