LONDON, United Kingdom— Thanks to the Said Foundation, approximately 100 Syrian refugees will now be able to enroll in four year university courses in both Jordan and Lebanon this upcoming Fall. A grant of more than $1.8 million was provided to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees.
The Said Foundation is a British-based charity focused on creating more opportunities for education around the world. Their work not only includes higher education, but also youth and adolescent schooling. This grant will fund two-thirds of the UNHCR’s scholarships that are offered to Syrian refugees.
The UNHCR DAFI program is the only higher education program designed specifically for refugees. The program started in in Germany in 1992, with the goal of helping refugees achieve self-reliance through education.
This will in turn lead to meaningful, gainful employment.
Thanks to both the Said Foundation and the UNHCR DAFI program, this is the first higher education program of its kind launched in Lebanon, and will drastically increase scholarships provided for students in Jordan.
By the end of 2014, the UNHCR aims to help 150 students in both Jordan and Lebanon achieve their goals of gaining secondary or tertiary education. Up to two-thirds of these students will receive support for all four years of their schooling.
This grant not only helps support the typical four year education found at colleges and universities, but also helps other forms of education like technical, professional and vocational degrees and certificates.
Syria is the Foundation’s highest priority and, in the current tragic circumstances, assistance for displaced and refugee Syrians is naturally at the heart of our work,” said Wafic Rida, Chairman of the Said Foundation.
Thanks to the grant, Syrians now have access to the tools they need to help rebuild their communities and the country they were forced to leave behind.
The ongoing Syria conflict is shattering the aspirations of millions of young Syrians, robbing them of the opportunity to build a future for themselves and their war-torn county,” said Roland Schilling, the UNHCR representative to the UK. “Ensuring that these young people have access to quality education while they are refugees is essential in addressing this urgent challenge.”
– Andre Gobbo
Sources: UNHCR 1, UNHCR 2, Said Foundation
Photo: The Guardian