Joint Christian Committee, Lebanon

In Lebanon, there is an estimated 1 million school-age children out of school. The country’s education system is in deep crisis: teachers have been out on strike; schools are unable to cover the cost of basic supplies; and families can’t afford the transport costs to get their children to school.

Although Lebanese children are also affected, the high number of out-of-school children is disproportionately made up of children from refugee families.

Embrace’s partner, the Joint Christian Committee, is responding to the crisis through its ‘Children on the Move’ programme. The programme offers educational support and vocational training for 20 out-of-school adolescents, all of whom live in the rundown Beirut neighbourhood of Sabra or the adjoining Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila. It is a real lifeline for these young people, offering many of them their first ever chance to learn to read and write.

Bible reading

‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’

Romans 15:13

Thought

In many ways, Lebanon’s education emergency seems like a hopeless situation. An incomprehensible number of children are being denied their fundamental right to education and their futures look bleak. And yet, this verse in Romans turns our gaze upwards, reminding us that our God is a God of hope. While it is difficult to comprehend all that the current generation of children and young people in Lebanon have to endure, the ‘Children on the Move’ project is one reminder of how Embrace’s faithful Christian partners are making a real difference. Let us take hold of that small seed of hope and pray that bigger change will happen.

Ask yourself: How might we ‘overflow with hope’ in seemingly hopeless situations? How can we combat feelings of hopelessness?

Prayer

Lord God,

We thank you for the ‘Children on the Move’ programme, and the difference it is making to the small group of young people it supports. Although in some ways it feels like a drop in the ocean of need, we remember that you are a God who loves and cares for individuals. You know each of these young people by name, and we ask for your blessing on their lives.

We pray more broadly for the challenges facing young people across Lebanon. We ask that you would raise up leaders with a vision and passion for Lebanon’s future, and that Lebanese and refugee children across the country would be able to access their right to education.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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