NGO Teach a Child is holding a fundraising dinner at the Saint-George Yacht Club Friday, raising money to help nearly a thousand underprivileged Lebanese children pay for school.
Its president, Zeina al-Khalil, talked to The Daily Star about the organization’s successes, the obstacles it faces, and the need for funding, speaking passionately about the group’s dedication to helping those who want an education but do not have the means to afford it.
“We help people of all genders, sects and areas – regardless of their grades,” she said.
When Khalil spoke to The Daily Star in 2013, the group was helping fund the education of 407 students in 26 schools across the country. Over the past two years its outreach has more than doubled; Teach a Child now helps 950 students in 97 schools.
Growth and success has led to a shift and expansion of the organization’s goals.
“When we started we wanted to serve kids under the age of 15 as this was the legal working age, now we have decided to help those children who wish to continue all the way through high school or vocational school, as well as university.”
Khalil explained that the organization is privately financed and its amount of funding directly corresponds to how much help it can provide. “Companies donate their money as well as services and products, and this is creating a link between the private sector and the public sector, where whoever wants to help the community is able to do so.”
Lebanese law stipulates the provision of free and compulsory education for all children, but there have been problems with its implementation, and additional expenses such as registration, books, uniforms and transport are too much for many families to handle.
The cost of financing one child’s education has risen from $300 per year in 2013 to $400, largely due to inflation and rising fuel prices.
“This is a huge burden for families, especially those that have more than one child. $400 is the minimum wage in Lebanon – this makes it impossible for low-income families to send their children to school,” Khalil said.
“Whoever is in need should give us a call, we help anyone.”
To donate or learn more, visit www.teachachild.org, contact info@teachachild.org, or call 01-74-72-66.
