NESSL Educational Ministries

Since 2012, when the tragic events in Syria reached an intensified level of violence, the number refugees escaping to Lebanon became phenomenal. The majority were children of between the ages of 3-5 years. As the years passed, the number of new children born in Lebanon increased to the point that almost a million of them live in misery, being denied a normal environment for children. Many are living in muddy camps without proper food or cleanliness, and especially NO SCHOOLING!

NESSL was deeply concerned about the welfare of children in the Lebanese camps, who were scattered on the streets. NESSL wanted to rescue as many of these kids from getting lost on the streets, and from getting abused in a variety of ways.

Thus, the Church began planning to help gather these children to provide some form of education for them.

NESSL first succeeded in February of 2016, by opening centers for education near the camps within the Church facilities.

By the end of February 2016 there were three such educational centers in operation, two in the Bekaa valley, and one in Tyre. Each center was catering to about 50 children.

By July of 2016, two more centers were operating in the North of Lebanon. One in Minyara with 70 Children, and another in Tripoli with 50 children.

By the year 2017 a sixth center opened in the Bekaa valley with 200 children.

While the number of children various by center, as of 2018 NESSL is educating a total of 600 refugee children.

All teachers who are educating those children are members of NESSL local churches, and are paid for their services.

In all those Centers the Syrian Curriculum for Language, Arithmetic, Sciences, and Ethics, were used in the hope that those children will soon go back to Syria and return to the Syrian schools. NESSL had to equip those centers with everything necessary for an educational environment. In addition, NESSL provides these children with one meal each day, the necessary clothes, stationary, books, and medicine (when needed).

NESSL even rents a number of busses to collect children from the camps and return them back home after schooling.

Indeed rescuing children from the streets and providing education for them is a church duty, mission and privilege. However, educating this number of children is costly and needs much support from everyone!