Lessons amid the sound of airstrikes: Keeping education services running in Lebanon
Our partner Tahaddi run an education centre in an informal settlement on the edge of Beirut. Since the start of the war, life for the children and the staff has been turned upside down. But despite the challenges, lessons are continuing. Catherine, one of the staff at Tahaddi, has sent us this update:
“That's a strike, Miss, not the sound barrier..."
The seventh missile over the southern suburbs had just flown above us, and the student I was working on maths with felt the need to inform me each time of the nature of the strikes. He and his family have returned to their neighborhood near the educational center, and he's trying to catch up on three weeks of missed classes online. For two days now, missiles have relentlessly hit the southern suburbs, some striking neighbourhoods close to those where Tahaddi centers are located.
Airstrikes in the suburbs of Beirut, near the neighbourhood where our partner Tahaddi is located.
The psychological and practical challenges of education amid war
What may be the most exhausting aspect of this time of war is the inability to plan for the near future. This greatly complicates the organization of work for our more than 80 staff members at Tahaddi.
We strive to stay creative to keep everyone reasonably engaged, even though three of our colleagues are now in another country with their families, and many others are displaced or are hosting relatives who have also been displaced.
The educators are working online, preparing activities for the children, who complete them as they can, despite the challenges with electricity, the high cost of Wi-Fi, and the inconsistent quality of connections. Tahaddi recently began providing Wi-Fi and mobile Internet aid to those who need it most, enabling them to keep learning remotely. Children whose families have fled to Syria can only access the internet every three days, and in rural areas, there is simply no electricity.
Keeping lessons running - online and in-person
About 30 children still attend Tahaddi’s education centre, despite regular airstrikes nearby.
About thirty students from the I Learn At Home program and the Homework Support program — even though there isn’t homework yet, as public school has not started online — come for one to two hours of learning with three tutors from these programs who live in the neighborhood. These sessions cover subjects such as mathematics, English or Arabic, and are sometimes followed by games and mental health activities. These moments offer a small sense of normality and much-needed support for their wellbeing.
The online students participate not only in activities for core subjects but also receive assignments in music, theater, and art. Online protection sessions are also organized; these serve as opportunities to reflect on the current situation, express emotions, and share difficult experiences. WhatsApp groups are closed, and the children send their work or messages directly to their educators.
Daily difficulties faced by displaced students
Displaced families are having to shelter in places with no cooking facilities.
Recently, we visited two students who are displaced at a construction site where their father works, outside of Beirut. There are now eight people living in a container meant for just one person, with no water, where their mother cooks over a wood fire…
Part of our team is going to schools or buildings housing displaced people. There they offer medical consultations or psychosocial activities for both adults and children. A small team regularly comes to the center to handle financial and administrative tasks or to assist children without phones or those who prefer printed worksheets over phone screens.
Today, between two strikes, two children were able to be taken by a colleague and our driver to the clinic of one of our speech therapists, located fifteen minutes from the center in a much safer area. They received an individual session there. Starting next week, twelve children will be able to benefit from this temporary solution.
The battle to stay positive
As this war drags on, a feeling of exhaustion sets in. Staying positive in the face of blind destruction, shattered lives of children and families, becomes harder each day. But we hold on thanks to your support, your messages, and your gestures of friendship, which bring us comfort.
