Education Above All has committed to expanding its landmark Al Fakhoora programme to offer access to higher education and leadership skills to thousands of young Syrians who have been forced to flee their homes or have been internally displaced within their own country.
Al Fakhoora, which has already enabled over 600 young Palestinians in Gaza to benefit from higher education programmes and reconstructed over 37 educational institutions targeted by war, is launching the next wave of its work with the aim of building a new model that can operate globally.
In its first phase, it will announce expansion into Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and the opposition-held areas in Syria.
The ongoing civil war in Syria has generated the biggest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War. Over 13mn Syrians have fled war and persecution to become refugees in neighbouring countries, including hundreds of thousands of 18-25 year olds.
Many young refugees have become separated from their families and find themselves living in refugee camps or dense urban dwellings in the region. These should be the next generation of leaders who can return to their country to support its reconstruction and rebuilding once peace prevails. Yet less than 5% have access to higher education.
Human capital flight, also referred to as the ‘brain drain’, is one of the least explored consequences of poverty, conflict and violence. But in countries torn apart by war or in communities with a sudden and significant increase in refugee population, the need for economically useful skills is greater than ever.
Al Fakhoora will work with its partner, SPARK, to provide a comprehensive scholarship and empowerment programme. It is the first of its kind to offer access to higher education to young Syrian refugees. By providing the youth with the right educational tools and resources, Al Fakhoora is building civic leadership, delivering psychosocial support and driving economic empowerment.
The expansion of the programme, scheduled to be announced at a high-level side event at the United Nations in New York , is entitled “Boosting Opportunities for Higher Education in Emergencies”. It is co-hosted with the Qatar Mission to the United Nations.
Ahead of the high-level side event on Monday, an Education Above All spokesperson said: “Unless we address the dire lack of access to higher education in areas affected by conflict, we risk leaving behind a ‘lost generation’ of young people with neither the knowledge nor skills to build a future for themselves – or for their country.
“The war in Syria has left hundreds of thousands of young people fearing for their future. How will they build a career, support a family, create a future for themselves and their community if they have no access to education?
“Al Fakhoora has offered hope to hundreds of young people in Gaza – now we want to do the same for thousands of Syrian refugees. Our comprehensive and holistic education programmes deliver globally recognised qualifications, but also the leadership skills, psychosocial support and economic empowerment we need to provide a future for the individuals involved, but also for Syria as we seek to build the next generation of leaders.
“We are delighted at the opportunity to share our experiences at the United Nations today with the hope that we can build more support for our aim of ensuring vulnerable and marginalised young people caught up in conflict can access higher education.”