The Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund has awarded Relief International a major donation to further education programs for Syrian refugees in Jordan’s Azraq camp. Through the project, Relief International will provide remedial education for 700 refugee students attending formal schools in grades eight through 12 for the 2019/2020 school year.
“We are excited to be partnering with Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund to support students in crisis,” said Nancy Wilson, CEO of Relief International. “This project will build hope and secure brighter futures for children seeking to continue their education in the face of profound obstacles like conflict and displacement.”
The Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund was established by the Emirati businessman and philanthropist in 2018, and seeks to provide refugee students with a market-relevant education and the skills to help them rebuild their lives.
“We believe education is just as important for refugee youth as food and shelter,” said Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Fund. “It is not just a basic right and necessity, but also a tool for recovery. Going back to school partially restores normalcy for young people, and enables them to obtain knowledge and skills that will help them chart a successful career path and earn a sustainable income.”
Relief International is a nonprofit organization that operates in 16 countries to meet both the urgent and longer-term needs of people in fragile settings. Since 2013, Relief International has been a leading actor in Jordan working to improve education outcomes for Syrian refugee children and youth in Za’atari and Azraq Camps. The organization’s teaching staff are known as the “changemakers” in the camps – a title bestowed by the dozens of youth we’ve helped graduate high school, receive scholarships, and get one step closer to dreams that seemed unattainable not that long ago.
Relief International’s program will be closely coordinated with the Jordanian Ministry of Education, and will include our signature Tawjihi exam prep course, language support, and student counselling. In addition, we will provide care at our Early Childhood Development center for at least 90 children under the age of 5 who belong to young mothers and other caregivers (such as older siblings) who are students in our remedial education program, ensuring that these students will be able to complete their education while their children receive high-quality care.
The reach of this project extends far beyond the students enrolled in the program. The households of the students and the overall community in Azraq Camp will also benefit from lower school drop-out rates and children and youth whose solid educational foundation positions them to more meaningfully contribute to their society.
To learn more about the Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund, visit: http://www.alghurairfoundation.org/en/home
Media Contacts
Nao Valentino
Director of Strategy, Al Ghurair Foundation
Becky Neely
Senior Communications Officer, Relief International