The town of Anjar, where our affiliated project the Armenian Evangelical Secondary School is located, is home to a large population of Armenian settlers. Fleeing persecution in Turkey after the Turkish-Armenian War in the 1930s, Armenians found refuge in Anjar.
In order to obtain an education that will yield them the opportunity to attend a technical school or university after graduating, students must attend private schools, such as the Armenian Evangelical Secondary School.
Later, in the 1960s, a Lebanese-Armenian businessman by the name of Stephen Philibosian supported the establishment of the Armenian Evangelical Secondary School to serve those young people in the community who continued to face adversity as children of refugee families.
Our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, visited the school to meet with our Volunteer Coordinator Reverend Akbasharian, who discussed with Luis the importance of our program in ensuring that Armenian children are able to attend this prestigious private school.
About Anjar
Recognized as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, Anjar is located near the Syrian border in the fertile Beqaa Valley, where much of the nation’s vegetables, grains, and wine grapes are produced.
Currently, about ten percent of children in Lebanon do not attend school.
An extensive portion of Anjar’s population is comprised of Armenian agricultural laborers who earn very little money. For this reason, the Armenian Evangelical Secondary School plays a crucial role in ensuring that children from poor Armenian families are able to receive an education.
Poverty in Lebanon
In modern-day Lebanon, considerable poverty exists, mostly due to recent conflicts in the country. Almost thirty percent of the Lebanese population lives below the poverty line, which means that children often do not have basic needs or the opportunity to attend school.
Without funds for books, school supplies, or tuition, children do not have the resources they require to go to school, and therefore have no choice but to start working before they reach legal working age. Nearly seven percent of children in Lebanon are forced to work to help their families financially.
Currently, about ten percent of children in Lebanon do not attend school. For those that do, the quality of public education is poor, and the school buildings in which classes are held are in terrible condition.
The Armenian Evangelical Secondary School plays a crucial role in ensuring that children from poor Armenian families are able to receive an education.
In order to obtain an education that will yield them the opportunity to attend a technical school or university after graduating, students must attend private schools, such as the Armenian Evangelical Secondary School. There, teachers are better trained, and the school has higher-quality resources and tools. Unfortunately, however, many families, like those in Anjar, cannot afford to send their children to such schools.
Helping kids in need
During Luis’ visit, Reverend Akbasharian expressed his gratitude for Children Incorporated’s partnership with the Armenian Evangelical Secondary School, where we currently serve many children through our sponsorship program. Because of support from our caring sponsors, Armenian boys and girls of this impoverished and marginalized population are provided with tuition money, food, clothing, and school supplies on a regular basis.
Reverend Akbasharian and Luis agreed that increasing the number of sponsorships at the school would be very beneficial. They both would like to see even more children, who would otherwise have to attend inadequate public schools, get a high-quality education and have the chance to rise above poverty when they reach adulthood.
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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN LEBANON?
You can sponsor a child in Lebanon in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in Lebanon that is available for sponsorship.