International Youth Day 2026: Empowering Youth in Palestine, Lebanon, & Jordan
by Anera
Posted in: Days of Observance
Today is International Youth Day! Around the world, youth prepare to return to school, but in places like Palestine and Lebanon, access to education is fraught with challenges.
In Jordan students from 10 public schools gathered at the Farmers Market to celebrate a year that started with a single seed and grew into an achievement. Behind every crate of tomatoes was a season of showing up: watering, learning, and watching patience turn into harvest, an experience they shared with their community.
This season, school greenhouses produced 1,200 lb of fresh crops. Students shared 100 lb, sold 800 lb, and turned the rest into value-added products, gaining real experience in agriculture, entrepreneurship, and food production.
Some things you plant in soil. Others, you plant in a young mind. This year, both grow, with Anera’s support and Madrasati’s collaboration.
Step up as a monthly donor to sustain programs that help children and their families throughout West Asia. Your donation will have an immediate impact. Right now, our team on the ground is at work to restore and expand access to safe learning spaces, provide psychological support, protect children from early marriage and empower families as partners in learning. Let’s be clear that this work is not possible without your support.
As a monthly donor, your gift will will go beyond education and ensure families have essential resources, such as food and healthcare, to endure under high-pressure conditions.
International Youth Day 2025
On International Youth Day, Anera recognizes the importance of investing in the youth to secure a future for Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan.
In Lebanon, with support from UNICEF, Anera implemented Knowledge for Progress training programs, equipping youth with practical and employable skills. We have also supported Lebanese and Palestinian nurses to earn scholarships.
In Jordan, ninety-five Palestinian refugees used the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund to gain hands-on experience in a variety of occupations.
Anera also works to provide psychosocial support to children affected by violence. Whether through storytelling sessions, body safety, or musical education, children in Gaza can experience joy again.
International Youth Day 2021
August 12 marks International Youth Day. Youth make up the majority of the populations in Palestine and Lebanon and are central to many of our program successes. Anera recognizes that youth hold the key to a better future.
Unfortunately, youth in Palestine and Lebanon have borne the brunt of conflict, military occupation and economic collapse. In Gaza, for instance, 70 percent of young people are unemployed — one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in the world. In Lebanon, young people are living through one of the worst economic crises to face a country since the 1800s — making access to educational and employment opportunities extremely challenging.
For Syrian and Palestinian refugee youth in Lebanon, the economic collapse has made life even more difficult for them and their families. Many refugee youth have dropped out of school to support their families.
To combat these challenges, Anera implements a variety of youth-focused programs to promote education and employment in Palestine and Lebanon. For instance, online education and work, particularly in coding, is one of the ways Anera reaches youth and helps promote employment in Gaza amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Anera’s programs also focus on combining education with cash-for-work in the production of urgently needed items for communities in both countries. Students are paid for this vital work thanks to the support of Anera donors.
In honor of International Youth Day 2021, below we are featuring videos, stories and reports that highlight some of our program successes promoting youth education and employment in Palestine and Lebanon.
Youth Education & Employment Successes in Palestine & Lebanon
Meet Four Anera PLUS Coding Graduates
Anera’s People Leveling Up Skills (PLUS) program is a career accelerator giving young people the technical skills they need to begin successful careers. Students go through a 20-week training in full-stack software development followed by career mentorship. At least 75% of students are women, refugees, lower-income or come from other vulnerable populations.
The program produces professional software engineers by giving students market-ready, adaptable coding and people skills. Graduates are placed into well-paying tech industry jobs with Palestinian, Turkish, Saudi, French, Czech, UK, Canadian and U.S. companies. Currently, Anera PLUS has a 92% job placement rate within a year of graduation.
Youth Program Success Stories
Anera On-the-Ground Report
Past International Youth Days Celebrated by Anera
International Youth Day 2019
In 2019, we featured a short video of young girls playing soccer in Gaza at the Anera-built Al Mosadar sports center.
International Youth Day 2017
For International Youth Day in 2017, Anera focused on the topic of “Youth Building Peace.” — sharing the profiles of youth working towards peaceful co-existence in their communities through Anera programs.
International Youth Day 2016
In 2016 Anera introduced its online audience to a group of inspiring young people who were participating in Anera vocational and job-skills-training courses.
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