Azima for Syrian Refugee Children(ASRC)

This project will take a high impact online learning curriculum recognised by Edtech Hub & UNHCR, from an ongoing project and adapt it to the most vulnerable out-of-school Syrian refugee children aged 9-14 in Lebanon. These children have often been out-of-school for too long to rejoin formal education, they work in basic labour such as sweet sellers and tin collectors and have little opportunity for advancement. Children will learn the most critical literacy, numeracy, and practical skills eg. keeping safe on the streets, and the most vulnerable will receive psychosocial support to increase access to vocational training and apprenticeships. The curriculum will be adapted based on needs-assessments and delivered through Whatsapp to provide critical flexibility needed for working children. The findings of this project will be shared with the humanitarian community through a report/ handbook to fill critical evidence gaps in using technology to educate working children in complex settings.

It is estimated that 45%, at least 500,000, of Syrian refugee children were out of learning all together in the 2019-20 academic year, 78% of whom cannot afford to attend due to financial challenges. These children often have no other option than to do basic labour such as selling tissues/sweets or collecting tin/plastic. 24,000 Syrian children were estimated to be working in Lebanon in 2013; since then, there has been an estimated 50% increase, 67% of whom work up to 10 hours per day.

84% of the working children surveyed have been worried that their household would not have enough to eat and 56% reported going to bed hungry. These children have been out of school for too long to re-enter formal education; this programme will have a large and sustainable impact on their families and futures. 13% of working children are exposed to verbal and physical abuse, and 12% to psychological distress. To access apprenticeships and vocational training, children need some level of basic literacy and numeracy skills. Jusoor’s project aims to bridge the gap between working children and opportunities, to enable them to realise their potential.

The Whatsapp learning program provides critical flexibility to allow working children to learn targeted, goal-oriented, and essential practical skills to access future opportunities. Phones and data will be provided to refugees - reports such as the UNHCR ‘connecting refugees’ emphasise the importance of facilitating connections and minimising the digital divide as refugees are 50% less likely to own one due to expense. This project will use Whatsapp to avoid ‘digital litter’ of new apps for refugees which are likely to be discarded. The local relevance of Whatsapp as a commonly used app in the area avoids the necessity to learn a new platform and increases trust and comfort with the project. Students commit to an hour and a half 4 days a week (Monday-Thursday) at whatever time they are able to join for 4 months. Classes are asynchronous, meaning lessons will be delivered via Whatsapp through videos and assignments which can be completed at any time in booklets and photographed to go onto Whatsapp for marking. 

100 children, 50 in each cohort, will be given the opportunity to learn the basic skills needed to move from street work, eg selling tissues/sweets, collecting tin/plastic etc. to skilled labour. Without essential numeracy and literacy skills these children will have little to no opportunity to move away from basic and unstable street work where the risks of abuse and exploitation are high. This program will teach a curriculum devised specifically for their needs, teaching only the most targeted and relevant skills. 

The project will go beyond the basic skills needed to go on to further training, but also to teach essential practical life skills to keep children safe on the street such as how to say no to peer pressure, how to know if you are being exploited and what to do, interpersonal skills, coping with emotion and stress, and problem-solving. Finally, the psychological component aims to mitigate physical and mental threats the children face which decreases risk of negative coping mechanisms and radicalisation. By supporting the children's psychosocial needs they will be more likely to be able to focus, engage, and retain content taught to them. 

The curriculum and delivery of this project has been designed entirely around the needs of the target group. Research was conducted to assess technology and method of delivery components of the original Azima program. This found that students who received both a smartphone & data card in the Azima pilot, had increased participation rates at school by 28%. During one term, students showed an average of 15% increase in test scores at the beginning and end of the term. Feedback interviews showed some parents learn alongside children. The curriculum will be adapted from our existing curriculum by Syrian teachers based on a needs assessment with an additional focus group. Furthermore, at each of the assessment stages the curriculum and teaching methods will be re-evaluated based on feedback and needs of children and their families to inform the next stage or cycle of the programme. Preliminary research and UNHCR data shows refugee households are approximately 50% less likely to have an internet-enabled phone. This project will therefore provide mobiles and data, as well as other equipment such as booklets and stationary. 

By adapting the programme and trialling it on the most vulnerable children in complex, unstable environments, Jusoor will provide a unique service and fill a critical evidence gap, creating a model that can be scaled and replicated. Jusoor would like to scale this project across the MENA region over the next 3 years targeting at least another 2,000 children directly across Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey and share guidelines with other organisations making the total at least 5,000. The programme could also be replicated by others through the handbook disseminated. Findings will be assessed and disseminated with other working groups, communities of practice, and other development actors. If the project has a very high impact, a handbook will be created to provide everything needed to implement the project in other areas. 

Our current partner is Right to Play which runs a pre vocational program. We will continue to refer students to this program to ensure they have skills and resilience. Right to Play has operations in Lebanon and Jordan, therefore we will also partner with them when expanding to Jordan. 

The breakdown of activities and order of operations are:

Activity 1: Outreach and Enrollment to vulnerable working children, including briefing to assess commitment and explain programme rules and safeguarding measures.

Activity 2: Needs Assessment with a focus group of longterm out-of-school working children, in addition to preliminary research, will be conducted to adapt the curriculum and methodology to target the specific needs of working children and ensure the utility of lessons, including basic literacy, numeracy, and practical skills.

Activity 3: Teacher training on how to deliver a Whatsapp based education program (how to engage and encourage the students virtually, follow-up on participation), how to teach to working children (issues the children may face, expectations), training on the unique curriculum, and safeguarding issues (what to look out for, and follow-up and escalation procedures) will commence after teachers are interviewed and hired.

Activity 4: Delivering lessons according to lesson plans developed by teachers and approved by the Academic Director. Students commit to an hour and a half 4 days a week (Monday-Thursday) at whatever time they are able to join for 4 months. Lessons will be delivered via Whatsapp through videos and assignments which can be completed in booklets and photographed to go onto Whatsapp for marking. Students will be provided with phones or tablets (depending on cost/ benefit analysis) and booklets, stationary, and data. Upon completion, students will be advised on possible next-steps and future opportunities.  

Activity 5: Psychological support and wellbeing sessions offered to the children most in need as determined by teachers, each cohort will have 4 group sessions, 1 per month. These sessions will provide the support needed for the children to gain the maximum benefit from the programme.

Activity 6: Assessments will be conducted every 2 months to examine the impact and effectiveness of the program. The first test will measure the baseline, and be used to divide the group in 2 according to abilities. The second assessment will be after 2 months at the end of the first term - the program will be assessed and any adaptations will be made. The final test will show the impact of the program and further adaptations can be made for the second cycle. 

Activity 7: Dissemination of a results report, including lessons learnt and best practices will be given to working groups, communities of practice, and other humanitarian actors. If the project has a high impact, an additional handbook with guidelines and a toolkit will be created which will aim to build the capacity of humanitarian actors and offer the possibility of replication both within Lebanon and across the world.

By providing technology and using a Whatsapp teaching platform, ASRC provides the most hard-to-reach children with quality and equitable learning environments. The project aligns with MIT Challenge goals by increasing engagement in remote-learning environments by providing guided independent work and individualised feedback. The program provides digital inclusion where otherwise there would not be connectivity or access to quality learning experiences. Life skills and psychosocial support will help children to be more mentally and physically safe and build resilience to adversity. Jusoor’s handbook will support other teachers to adapt their pedagogy and communicate with students and their families in remote settings.

This pilot will be tested in Beirut on 100 children to analyse its effectiveness for long-term out-of-school and working children. Azima has previously been tested on children who had to attend Jusoor’s education centres remotely and showed increased levels of engagement. However, it will now be adapted with a new targeted curriculum to meet the specific needs of the target group.

Due to COVID-19, an increasing number of schools and NGOs are delivering education through online platforms. At Jusoor we had a digital divide challenge as refugee children often do not have access to devices or even the internet. The Azima program was created on this basis, providing technology and choosing applications children were most familiar with and could be used as an interface for learning. The flexibility of this remote learning tool can decrease inequality in education if the most vulnerable children who would otherwise be excluded were given the opportunity. 

Azima was recognised for its excellence and chosen to be developed and rigorously tested through the Sandbox project in collaboration with the UNHCR, the EdTech Hub which facilitates innovation, and funded by DFID. 

The proposed solution will take ASRC to the next level and adapt our current program to test and validate it on the most vulnerable, hard-to-reach children. By adapting the program and trialing it on one of the most difficult to reach target groups, Jusoor will provide a unique service and fill a critical evidence gap. If this project has a high impact Jusoor will scale in Lebanon to target 1,000 children. After evaluating and improving on the design based on the scaled evidence this project can then be piloted in other countries such as Jordan or Turkey. The reports will be shared with relevant stakeholders and, if successful, a handbook will be created so that the program can be replicated by others across the world. 

The project will initially be piloted on 100 Syrian refugee children who are long-term out-of-school and likely to be working (50 in each cohort).

The intended impact over the next few years is that at least 3,400 children without access to education will be directly targeted. Guidelines will be shared and Jusoor will assist other organisations, in the MENA region and around the world (translation of the curriculum will be needed) to implement this project targeting at least another 2,000 children making the total impact well over 5,000 children in the first two years, and many more in years to come.

2021: Pilot Azima outside the Jusoor community (100 children in two groups 50(m)/50 (f), 4 months each) 

2022: Re-run pilot (50 continuing, 50 new)

2022: Scale in Lebanon (1000) 

2023: Pilot into another country eg., Jordan / Turkey (100)

2024: Scale within the country (1000)

2024: Scale to a third country (100 pilot, 1000 scale)

Between these stages the project will be updated according to lessons learned and Jusoor will publicise guidelines and assist in training in 2022.

Performance evaluations: three tests will be used per project cycle to evaluate impact: initial, mid-term (after 2 months), and final (after 4 months) to measure impact and make adjustments. Each test will consist of basic literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills which will be measured against learning outcomes. 

Qualitative feedback: a survey will be distributed on Whatsapp after each programme cycle to establish more in-depth qualitative information about the curriculum, the modality of learning, the hours required, and the length of the course. Feedback will be used to analyse impact and adapt the programme for the next cycle. Throughout the project, students will be able to submit feedback directly teachers so that suggestions and adaptations can be ongoing. 

Complaints response mechanism: will be through WhatsApp to a group of independent project staff. The Psychosocial Support Counsellor will be responsible for passing the information on in an anonymous and timely manner, and for liaising with the teacher to ensure feedback is addressed and additional support is put in place if necessary. Issues regarding safeguarding will be prioritised.

Attendance and progress against learning outcomes: will be measured throughout the programme which includes a record of the level of engagement (when assignments are submitted, level of interaction).

Follow-up: a follow-up tracer study will be conducted after 6 months by phone to establish the long-term impact of the project. Questions include the practical application of knowledge and current situation including whether recommendations for further study were followed-up and if they were accepted into further training.

1. Suha Tuntunji - Head of Refugee Education 

2. Sara Shamma -  Principle of the Jurahiya center 

3. Michèle Boujikian- MEAL Consultant 

4. Grace Atkinson - Executive Director

The target group is heavily involved in project creation: the curriculum will be adapted by Syrian teachers based on a needs assessment with a focus group, and the project will utilise a constant feedback loop to adapt and improve.

The project will be managed by Academic Director of Jusoor’s Refugee Education Program Suha Tutunji, based in Lebanon. Suha has over 25 years experience in education, with over 18 years as school administrator. She has extensive experience running workshops for educators globally,  and is co-founder and board member of an NGO that caters to students with learning disabilities (CARE). She is also an INEE member and part of the INEE teacher training working group. She has an MA in School Management and Supervision.

The Executive Director, Grace Atkinson, oversees all programs run by Jusoor, and has extensive experience in the education and development sector. She previously focused on utilizing digital technology to help the underprivileged access university by co-founding two country offices of Kiron Open Higher Education and serving as MENA Regional Director. Grace has a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Sciences Po Paris and a bachelor’s degree from Leiden University. 

Michèle has decade-long research experience in both policy studies and the humanitarian sector. Lately, her work has been focused on the education of disadvantaged children, particularly refugees.  In her current role at Jusoor, she is carrying out consultancy projects for the Refugee Education Program while also working on strengthening and developing the program’s M&E system.

Jusoor is an NGO of Syrian expatriates supporting the country’s development and helping Syrian youth realize their potential through programs in the fields of education, career development, and global community engagement. As a community of Syrians living around the world working together to launch programs that benefit the Syrian community inside and outside Syria. We are committed to supporting the country’s development and drawing on the vast talents and experience of our global members to overcome the challenges the country faces.

Jusoor seeks to hire those from Syria who have an understanding of the needs of Jusoor's beneficiaries whilst also maintaining an international team who have experience of working on projects in the Middle East or with refugees. 

Jusoor strives for gender equality in its teams and management: 57% of Jusoor’s Board of Directors are women and 64% of the team are women, including 69% of management. Gender equality and protection is mainstreamed in all of Jusoor’s programmes, for example, 55% of the enterprises supported in Jusoor’s start-up bootcamp have female co-founders. 

Solve is an incredible opportunity for us to receive the support we need to pilot and scale our idea in order to reach the most vulnerable, hardest-to-reach refugee children with a simple but effective innovative teaching method and delivery. Personalised support from Solve staff would enable us to prepare to scale our pilot across the Middle East and to other regions of the world. Connections made through Solve's social impact community would enable us to network with organisations working in education or with the most vulnerable sections of society who could implement this program elsewhere. 

Funding from Solve would allow us to overcome financial barriers to implementing this project which are the main obstacles that we face.

Azima for Syrian Refugee Children is applicable to all areas where refugees and young people are excluded from education and face financial burdens; it can be easily adapted to the most needed education and life skills in the target country. Therefore, the possibilities for scale are endless, and Solve is a key way in which Jusoor can be most prepared for the opportunity.

Support with human capital would allow Jusoor to source talented staff and expand our board of directors. 

Service distribution support would help Jusoor conduct outreach activities including finding partners who can assist with outreach, implement the project in other locations, or can support the beneficiaries in their next stage of further education, training, or apprentiship.

Tabshoura Tiny Thinkers (TTT) is a Solve Member with which Jusoor is familiar, with some of Jusoor's teachers using their cloud curriculum to develop their own teaching exercises and content. Continued knowledge sharing and collaboration between TTT and Jusoor would create enhanced programs and increased impact.

Jusoor would also seek to identify additional outreach and implementation partners in MIT faculty and beyond. Jusoor would look to work with MIT REACT to look into possible support and collaboration such as identifying extraordinary and determined students and referring them to MIT REACT programs. 

For outreach in North Lebanon we will work with Malak, and for the South of Lebanon we will use Afaq. Both organisations partnered with us both this year and last year for Brevet. In Turkey we would seek to work with the Karam Foundation, YUVA and ASAM, whilst in Jordan we would look to work with Norwegian Refugee Council, Questscope, Relief International, and Save the Children. Finally, Jusoor will work with other education organisations in the region to assist them in implementing their own project using the guidelines produced by Jusoor.

Azima for Syrian Refugee Children will work toward equality in education and increased options for careers by targeting the most vulnerable, hard-to-reach children. These children are usually working in very poor conditions or are vulnerable to exploitation with little chance of accessing education or better paid, safer jobs in the future. Through digital inclusion and engaging and flexible teaching on an easy-to-use application, barriers to education will be broken down. Children and adolescents will gain the minimum criteria to go on to further training through apprenticeships or TVET programs. The targeted curriculum will enable students to access further training, enabling them to have options, and make better-informed decisions about their futures. 

This prize would allow Jusoor to scale the project across Lebanon, as well as to build guidelines and train other organisations to implement this program in other areas of the world. The program itself is applicable to all areas where refugees and young people are excluded from education and face financial burdens; it can be easily adapted to the most needed education and life skills in the target country. Therefore, the possibilities for scale are endless.

Azima for Syrian Refugee Children will work toward inclusion and self-sufficiency for refugees by facilitating options for well-paid careers by targeting the most vulnerable, hard-to-reach children. These children are usually working in very poor conditions or are vulnerable to exploitation with little chance of accessing education or better paid, safer jobs in the future. Through digital inclusion and engaging and flexible teaching on an easy-to-use application, barriers to education will be broken down. Children and adolescents will gain the minimum criteria to go on to further training through apprenticeships or TVET programs which decreases the dependence on aid for themselves and their families. The targeted curriculum will enable students to access further training, enabling them to have options, and make better-informed decisions about their futures. 

This prize would allow Jusoor to scale the project across Lebanon, as well as to build guidelines and train other organisations to implement this program in other areas of the world. The program itself is applicable to all areas where refugees and young people are excluded from education and face financial burdens; it can be easily adapted to the most needed education and life skills in the target country. Therefore, the possibilities for scale are endless.

Azima for Syrian Refugee Children will work toward equality in education and increased options for careers by targeting the most vulnerable, hard-to-reach children. These children are usually working in very poor conditions or are vulnerable to exploitation with little chance of accessing education or better paid, safer jobs in the future. Through digital inclusion and engaging and flexible teaching on an easy-to-use application, barriers to education will be broken down. Children and adolescents will gain the minimum criteria to go on to further training through apprenticeships or TVET programs. The targeted curriculum will enable students to access further training, enabling them to have options, and make better-informed decisions about their futures. 

This prize would allow Jusoor to scale the project across Lebanon, to outreach to STEM organisations to build partnerships and referral schemes, and to build guidelines and train other organisations to implement this program in other areas of the world. The program itself is applicable to all areas where refugees and young people are excluded from education and face financial burdens; it can be easily adapted to the most needed education and life skills in the target country. Therefore, the possibilities for scale are endless.

Azima for Syrian Refugee Children will work toward equality in education and increased options for careers by targeting the most vulnerable, hard-to-reach children. These children are usually working in very poor conditions or are vulnerable to exploitation with little chance of accessing education or better paid, safer jobs in the future. Children and adolescents will gain the minimum criteria to go on to further training through apprenticeships or TVET programs. The targeted curriculum will enable students to access further training, enabling them to have options, and make better-informed decisions about their futures. 

Increased education and career opportunities have been demonstrated by many organisations to decrease negative coping mechanisms such as early child marriage. If girls have the opportunity to earn a decent wage in the future they and their parents are less likely to secure marriage early (which is often seen as the only option for a stable future). By mainstreaming gender throughout the project, specifically focusing on the needs of girls, and providing psychosocial support where these issues can be discussed, Jusoor hopes to provide girls with real opportunities for their future.

This prize would allow Jusoor to scale the project across Lebanon, as well as to build guidelines and train other organisations to implement this program in other areas of the world. The program itself is applicable to all areas where refugees and young people are excluded from education and face financial burdens; it can be easily adapted to the most needed education and life skills in the target country. Therefore, the possibilities for scale are endless.

Azima for Syrian Refugee Children will work toward finding a route out of poverty and exploitation by providing the targeted education needed to access training options and decent wage work for the most vulnerable, hard-to-reach children. These children are usually working in very poor conditions or are vulnerable to exploitation with little chance of accessing education or better paid, safer jobs in the future. Through digital inclusion and engaging and flexible teaching on an easy-to-use application, barriers to education will be broken down. Children and adolescents will gain the minimum criteria to go on to further training through apprenticeships or TVET programs which decreases the dependence on aid for themselves and their families. The targeted curriculum will enable students to access further training, enabling them to have options, and make better-informed decisions about their futures. 

This prize would allow Jusoor to scale the project across Lebanon, as well as to build guidelines and train other organisations to implement this program in other areas of the world. The program itself is applicable to all areas where refugees and young people are excluded from education and face financial burdens; it can be easily adapted to the most needed education and life skills in the target country. Therefore, the possibilities for scale are endless.