Ghofran, a refugee living in Eastern Lebanon, loved school. It’s a place where she can escape from the realities of her life in a refugee settlement, find hope and safety, and learn new things.

The school she attended, in Baalbek, Lebanon and run by JRS, was a few miles from her home, and she and her sisters walked there every day. They didn’t mind the walk, but their daily travels exposed them to harassment, aggressive actions, and other unsafe conditions on their way to and from school. This concerned their father a great deal, and he did not want to expose them to the dangerous walk, so he decided it was best that they no longer attend school. The girls were devastated by their father’s decision but understood that their safety and well-being was most important.

The school administrators and JRS were made aware of the situation, and decided the girls needed safe and reliable transportation. When JRS provided the transportation, Ghofran and her sisters were able to return to school and continue their studies.

In Lebanon, there are more than 1.5 million refugees, many of whom are children who do not have access to formal education. One of the most significant barriers to education is safe and reliable transportation. JRS seeks to expand access to education and to a hopeful future for refugee children in Lebanon by providing transportation to all students who need it at our schools in Lebanon.

With your support this Giving Tuesday, we can give more students a seat in the classroom, by removing this barrier. Your gift can make twice the impact, thanks to The Frankel Family Foundation who will match every gift given to our Giving Tuesday campaign. Will you help us provide safe and reliable transportation to students like Ghofran? Click here to learn how you can contribute.