Safe Spaces Lebanon’s Summer School work with Syrian Refugees: Update #1

August 10, 2019

#KeepGoing Introduction

Summer is almost over, and we can’t believe we are starting year 2 for our students at Safe Spaces Center! 

Even though it’s summer, our kiddos haven’t really stopped attending school. Rather, they’ve been attending our summer program and have made some incredible strides that we want to share and celebrate with you over the next few weeks!

We are officially launching are “Keep Going!” campaign for this next school year. To help cover some of the costs of our summer program AND get our kiddos ready for next year, we are looking for support from you all to help keep US going with this good work. 

The money you donate is used on a 90/10 basis: 90% of all funds raise go to the programming of education and psycho social support for the students at Safe Spaces. 10% goes towards admin, staff and other expenses. Every dollar counts. 

Without your support, we would not be seeing the impact of Safe Spaces in the lives of our students. The upcoming posts will speak for themselves; these results are real! The progress is showing! Your support makes this all possible. Share the journey with us and consider a donation to keep the future bright for these boys and girls. 

Help the students & teachers at the Safe Spaces Center by sharing this post and/or donating today! Shokran in advance!

How can you help?

Keep going!

Keep Going with educational programming being provided to refugee children recovering from the impact war in Syria. 

Syrian Children Art School Safe Spaces Lebanon

In the very beginning of this last academic year, after 8 weeks of schooling, teachers and administrators were able to assess each student on behavioral issues, and academic basics such as the alphabet, colors and numbers, etc. Teachers observed a large disparity between the students’ knowledge/behavior and their ages, showing minimal development due to their past circumstances. 

Safe Spaces Center educators and students pushed onward to finish out the school year, but as they neared the summer, teachers in the center realized the danger in letting the students go for the summer; too much progress could be lost! As such, they requested to keep the school operating through the summer months.

Thanks to caring teachers, supportive partners and generous donors, Safe Spaces was able to fully fund the teachers’ request – positive news met with enthusiasm for teachers and students alike. Can you image… kids… wanting to stay in school through the…SUMMER?  What!?

Keep Going with Music!

Safe Spaces is using music education to empower refugee children recovering from the war in Syria by providing educational and psycho social programs at our Safe Spaces Center in Lebanon.

The first session of our summer program was a discovery period. The intention was to have fun with the kids and enjoy the summer vacation while making use of our time. As such, during this first week, our students and teachers got familiar with the programing which included music, drawing, pottery and handcrafts, and sewing. The students focused on music lessons first, andeach of them had his/her own instrument which included guitar, flute and even xylophone! They enjoyed learning the musical notes and practicing the instruments. 

Keep Going Mohammed!

Students displaced in Lebanon due the nearly decade-long Syrian conflict lack educational and behavioral development. Some of the children attending programs at the Safe Spaces Center exhibited aggressive behaviors towards each other and the teachers, and little to no motivation to learn. 

Despite these challenges, our staff kept working with the students, and in a few months, there was a large improvement in their behavior and their learning capabilities. They developed a desire to learn and to come to school daily. They began to change!

For example, meet Mohammed. He is 9-years-old and when he came to Safe Spaces Center, he exhibited aggressive and disrespectful behavior toward others. However, after 3 months in our program, he was able to control himself and his actions, follow instructions, and show interest in letters and numbers. This is incredible progress! Way to go, Mohammed! 

Keep Going with Art!

Safe Spaces is using art education to empower refugee children recovering from the war in Syria by providing educational and psycho social programs at our Safe Spaces Center in Lebanon.

During the second session of our summer program, the kids were divided into groups and they all had the chance to work with mud and create new shapes. They also learned cross-stitching and sewed their names on canvas and learned new techniques in drawing. Additionally, there was an exceptional visit from the wonderful, talented and creative Weeda Sabb. Kids experienced an “art rush.” Using glue and craft paper, they were able to create unique canvas collages of their own expression!

Thank you Weeda for your support of Safe Spaces and being a difference-maker to the Syrian refugee students of the Safe Spaces Center in Lebanon. 

Help us spread the word about the transformative work partners, educators and students are undertaking.