Sep, 2026
Anera Scholarships Open Doors for 10 Students in South Lebanon
For many young people, becoming a nurse starts with a simple dream: to care for others, make a difference, and build a meaningful future. But for students whose families are struggling to make ends meet, pursuing that dream can feel impossible. The cost of education can turn ambition into a choice between continuing their studies and helping their families meet their everyday needs.
In South Lebanon, Anera is making sure financial hardship does not mean giving up on that dream.
Through a nursing scholarship program at the Imam Sadr Foundation’s Al-Afaq Development Institute in Tyre, Anera is supporting 10 students from families who cannot afford to continue their education. The scholarships cover their full nursing studies, giving students the opportunity to focus on their education without placing an additional financial burden on their families. Seven students will continue into their second year, while three will advance to their third year. Behind each scholarship is a young person with a different reason for choosing nursing, a personal journey shaped by determination, challenges, and hope for a better future.
Malak: Turning loss into a mission to care for others
In the heart of South Lebanon, Malak Mahish grew up watching her father serve others as a member of the Civil Defense. He rushed toward danger to help those in need — treating the wounded, delivering medicine, and rescuing people during times of crisis.
To Malak, he was more than her father. He was her role model.
Then came 2024. Her father was killed during the war while carrying out his humanitarian duty to save lives. His loss left a deep wound in the family. For Malak, however, it also deepened a determination that had been growing for years: to follow the path he had shown her.
She wanted to become a nurse, to care for people in their most vulnerable moments and become someone others could depend on, just as her father had been.
At the same time, Malak wanted to ease the financial burden on her sister, who had taken responsibility for the family. The scholarship gave her the chance to pursue nursing when continuing her studies might otherwise have been impossible.
When Malak first entered the institute, she was shy, easily overwhelmed, and hesitant to speak in front of others. With each step forward she grew more confident and resilient.
Today, Malak sees nursing as more than a career.
It is a way to carry her father’s legacy forward, to serve others with the same courage, compassion, and sense of duty that she witnessed in him growing up.
Zainab: Refusing to let hardship decide her future
Sixteen-year-old Zainab Nahhas, from the southern village of Bdayas, came to nursing with her own story of hardship.
When the Israel-Hezbollah conflict intensified, Zainab and her family endured days of heavy shelling before being forced to seek safety in a school in a neighboring village. With both of her parents unable to work during the war, the family faced severe financial difficulties.
But Zainab refused to let the circumstances around her determine her future.
She applied for the nursing scholarship so she could continue her education without placing an additional financial burden on her family.
At the institute, the quiet student who once rarely spoke began finding her voice and growing in confidence. Through her studies, she discovered that determination and dedication could help her overcome challenges both inside and outside the classroom.
Now in her second year, Zainab is looking ahead to the future she is working to build. She dreams of becoming a nurse in a hospital after graduation.
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More than a scholarship
For Anera, these scholarships are about more than covering tuition. They are an investment in young people who are determined to build careers, support their families, and serve their communities.
The 10 students were selected from families facing significant financial hardship — students with the determination to continue their education but who might otherwise have been forced to put their ambitions on hold.
And Anera’s support does not end when students graduate. They will also receive support in identifying suitable employment opportunities in their communities and areas of residence, helping them make the transition from education to meaningful employment.
Ten students. Ten journeys. Ten dreams for the future.
For Malak, it is a chance to honor her father’s legacy. For Zainab, it is a chance to keep moving forward despite the hardships her family has endured.
And for all 10 students, it is a chance to turn a dream into a profession - and eventually become the healthcare professionals their communities need.
Lebanon
South Governorate
The South Governorate of Lebanon is a beautiful place with white beaches, archeological ruins, bustling old souks, fertile fields of citrus and banana trees, and a deep history. Its residents are from different religions: Shia and Sunni Muslims, Druze, Eastern Orthodox, Maronite, Protestant, and Greek Catholic Christians. Its biggest cities are also the third and fourth largest in the country, Saida and Tyre.
