UN International Day of the Girl Child: Levelling the Playing Field

So often, especially among displaced and marginalised communities, such as those of Syrian refugees that Alsama Project works with in Beirut, girls are being left behind. Less than 2% of Syrian refugee youth in Lebanon complete secondary school and, among girls, who are faced with particularly limited options, 41% are forced into early marriage.

Despite this, our NGO has consistently proven that through education, the dreams of refugee girls expand to wide horizons as they discover their voice, their confidence, and their unique talents. Alsama Project provides education for 880 teenagers, 66% of whom are girls, across four education centres in Shatila and Bourj El-Barajneh. Our award-winning accelerated learning programme achieves 95% literacy within 6 months and prevents 99% of early marriages. It also means that an Alsama-educated girl multiplies her lifetime earnings fourfold: adding over $240,000 in economic value and allowing her to break endemic cycles of poverty.

While our students excel in the classroom, perhaps the best testament to the impact of Alsama on the lives of refugee girls is on the cricket field. Because true empowerment is holistic, cricket, along with music, yoga, and other extracurricular clubs, is a cornerstone of Alsama Project’s innovative approach. Alsama Cricket has grown to 22 cricket hubs across Lebanon, teaching over 900 young refugees both hardball and softball, with a 50/50 gender split among players and coaches. Through playing cricket, which allows boys and girls to play side by side, our girls have learnt to assert their voices, their confidence, and their power to lead beyond the classroom.

On the microcosm of the cricket field, Alsama girls are proving their courage, leadership, and the limitless potential of refugee girls in Lebanon. We are working to help them realise this potential, whether through delivering our award-winning scalable refugee education model, supporting our female-run Alsama Studio and Alsama Language School, or creating the innovate G12++ certificate to formally recognise the achievements of refugee youth and open doorways to university and meaningful employment.

So, keep your eye on the ball, because our future leaders are being made on the Alsama cricket field! Join us this UN International Day of the Girl as we challenge the boundaries facing Syrian refugee girls in Lebanon!

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