Holistic Support for Adolescent Girls in Lebanon

In the U.S., back-to-school season means crowded store aisles filled with notebooks, pencils, and backpacks. Kids rush to classrooms buzzing with energy and fresh starts. In Lebanon, though, back-to-school can often look very different for some children.

For many adolescent girls, the start of the school year is filled with uncertainty. Will they have a uniform? Can their families afford the bus fare? Or will the pressures of early marriage or financial strain pull them out of school altogether?

That’s where the SAWA project comes in.

A Different Kind of Back-to-School

At just 13, Ghina dreamed of becoming a dentist. But with Lebanon’s overlapping crises, her family struggled to cover even the basics. Ghina was also born with hypoxia, which has affected her learning abilities and makes it harder for her to focus and remember. For years, she fell behind in school and often felt left out.

When she joined the Anera SAWA project, things began to change. With extra academic support, different teaching approaches, and teachers who understood her needs, Ghina started catching up. “My teachers take the time to explain everything to me,” she says with a shy smile. “Now I can understand better and I feel confident.”

In 2025 alone, SAWA has reached over 250 adolescent girls, aged from 13 to 17, equipping them with the tools for learning and the confidence to lead. The program extends beyond academics, providing girls with access to digital tablets, safe learning spaces, psychosocial support, and life skills training. For families burdened by Lebanon’s overlapping crises, SAWA also provides school essentials, such as backpacks, books and stationery, in addition to cash assistance to ease the financial pressures that often keep girls out of class.

More Than Books and Lessons

The impact is immediate and long-term. Digital learning prepares girls for the future economy. Psychosocial support helps them navigate trauma and uncertainty. And by keeping girls in school, SAWA reduces the risks of early marriage and social exclusion.

Every mentorship session delivered and every safe classroom opened is a step toward breaking barriers and building futures.

A Shared Season of Hope

As students in the U.S. start their year with sharpened pencils and bright hopes, girls like Ghina are beginning their school year with something just as powerful: opportunity. But other girls in Lebanon are fighting for the simple right to stay in school. SAWA bridges that gap by ensuring the back-to-school season is filled with opportunity rather than obstacles.

Every backpack and stationery distributed, every safe space created, every mentorship moment—these are small shifts that change the course of a girl’s life.

You Can Make a Difference

The progress made so far would not be possible without the vision of partners like Naos and the Meem Foundation. But the need is far greater than what one project alone can meet. With your support, we can ensure that more adolescent girls across Lebanon walk into classrooms with their heads held high, ready to learn and ready to lead.

This back-to-school season, invest in a girl’s future. Give today and help us expand SAWA’s impact.