Education: the most powerful weapon

Monday, January 18, 2021

Most children underestimate the privilege they have in life such as going to school and the access to a good education. They are unaware of the importance of education and how it can shape their future. Education is key to a world denied to about 258 million children around the world, as per UNESCO’s UIS data.

In partnership with UNICEF and funding from Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), France and Canada, World Vision Lebanon (WVL) is supporting vulnerable girls and boys to remain in education. WVL’s education teams created WhatsApp groups with the caregivers of the children registered under the UNICEF programme, where they can implement remote learning modalities in response to the COVID-19 lockdown.

“Her improved and very nice handwriting” is the first thing that comes to Ayat’s mind when asked about her 7-year-old daughter Mirage’s progress during the remote learning programme. The little girl loves the online sessions and waits passionately to discover a new subject every week.

Mouawia — Mouawiya is a six-year-old boy also attending the remote learning sessions with World Vision. “I learned to count and I know the week days in English”, he says proudly. “Had my son not been enrolled in this programme, he might not had any education whatsoever, says his mother, Majida, who is very grateful for this opportunity.

Abed el Jawad was not very excited to begin learning remotely at first. The six-year-old used to spend his days playing and doing nothing. When he first started learning, he found it difficult especially because it was his first learning experience and it happened remotely. “My sister helps me so I am finding it less difficult now”, he says.

Fawzia, six, wants to finish school and become a dentist. “I love learning the alphabet”, she says with her little eyes that sparkle every time she talks about school. “I am happy with the remote learning but I also want to go and meet new friends”, she explains.

Mohamad — Mohammad, six, is a calm brilliant little boy eager to keep learning. “Thanks to the remote learning, I can now keep track of his studies. Usually he comes back from school and doesn’t talk about anything”, his mother Fadia explains.

Education Refugees