Two Single Mothers' Graduations in 2016

The Single Mothers' Program 2015/2016 came to a conclusion with two celebrations, one for each of the two courses we conducted this year.

The first celebration was held on 29 February 2016 and the second on 15 April 2016. Both celebrations were held in the presence of all the JLSS heads of departments.

The director opened both programs with prayer. He then expressed his gratitude to God and the Schneller School partners in Germany EVS/EMS, who have been supporting the Single Mothers' Programs, from the very beginning, three years ago.

Rev. Haddad thanked the trainers who conducted both programs: Mrs. Carmen Zino (Sewing) and Mrs. Dareen Haddad (Hairdressing), and also Mrs. Lina Saadeh who taught the pre-school children during the two courses.

During both celebrations, certificates were given to all the participants along with the necessary tools for them to practice the skills they acquired, in order to support themselves and their children. A complete hairdressing set was provided to every woman in the first group, and a sewing machine to members of the second group.

Participants also cut cakes prepared for the occasions, and then a time of interaction with the heads of departments followed.

 Women always express their sincere gratitude for the time and training they receive in JLSS. They always leave with tears.

The three months they spend in Schneller School give them a nice break from the tough life in the refugee camps. It is always an opportunity for Schneller staff who work with them, to learn about the horrific experiences they went through, the suffering they endured, and the extremely difficult life of having nothing as refugees in the miserable refugee camps.

It is also an opportunity for the women to experience a different life in Schneller School, where people from all faiths interact freely with each other, and respect each other. It is an eye-opening experience to make them see for themselves, that the other is not necessarily as bad as they are told!

The women are alone in the camps without their husbands who are dead, missing, or imprisoned. They have to care for their children and try not to fall into more tragic situations as a consequence of the pressure they face from the community as single women. The norm is to pressure them to quickly get married, but as widows, to much older or already married men with other wives.

It is our hope that the training they receive in Schneller School will allow them to make income, no matter how small, if not to improve their lives to help them avoid making matters much worse, for them and their children, by wrong decisions.

We express our most sincere gratitude to EVS/EMS and all the wonderful Christians in the German churches that donate generously towards this very important project.

This same gratitude we also express to EVS/EMS for supporting 35 Syrian refugee children who are fully integrated in our school. It is also amazing to see what children can achieve when they are given the opportunity. These young children are doing amazingly well and are competing with Lebanese children. It is now extremely difficult to tell the Syrian refugee children from the Lebanese. Some are among the top students of their class. This is the right of every child, and this is how all children should be educated!

We hope and pray that all the other children who are deprived of their humanity living in refugee camps, will also have the right for a true childhood and a proper education. This is only possible when wars are abolished, and people learn alternative ways to deal with their differences. Our world needs nothing, more urgently than Education for Peace!

Sway Presentation on Single Mothers' Graduations 2016