Art and Culture Calling for Equitable, Quality, and Inclusive Education
“This is the most challenging period of time for us, girls, in Lebanon; society and family are asking us to quit learning as it is useless to study in the absence of job opportunities. We are pushed to start some careers like tailoring or hairdressing to earn our own money,” Qamar,16 years old. Qamar is just one among thousands of girls in Baalbek-Hermel who have daily challenges to complete their education at a time when social, economic, and psychological pressures are soaring and future opportunities are diminishing.
In the 2022 season, the prestigious Baalbeck International Festivals will be, for the first time in their history, a platform that voices the story of Qamar and many more girls in Baalbeck-Hermel and Lebanon. Malala Fund, hand in hand with its partner, the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST), and in partnership with the Baalbeck International Festivals committee, will articulate a message via Baalbeck’s temples: “12 years of equitable, inclusive, and equitable education for girls and all.”
Ms. Rana El-Houjeiri, the representative of the Malala Fund in Lebanon said, “We know that the economic conditions in Lebanon are bad, but education is such a basic and sine qua non right whose loss leads to an entire generation collapsed.”
The Head of Baalbeck Festivals executive committee, Ms. Nayla de Freij, said, “We are pleased that in partnership with Malala Fund, and after two years of public’s absence, this year’s Baalbeck Festivals will be a platform for Qamar and all underage girls to highlight the importance of education in our society.”
The efforts of Malala Fund and LOST come together in the Empowering Girls through Education (EGE) project with the aim of supporting the education and learning of girls and marginalized groups and creating opportunities that enhance their active participation in society in Baalbek-Hermel governorate, which would consequently alleviate poverty and inequality.
“Empowering people and involving them in public life is a major goal in the organization’s strategy, and the most important pillar of this strategy is the scientific and educational empowerment of young people and girls,” Dr. Ramy Lakkis, LOST’s General Manager said. “Through EGE, hundreds of students will be provided with educational services and Life Skills training. Moreover, 6 high schools in Baalbeck-Hermel will be provided with crucial logistic services. In total, the impact of our partnership with Malala Fund will reach thousands of direct and indirect beneficiaries,” he added.
Ms. Rana El-Houjeiri concluded, “Today history and art meet at the rhythm of supporting a social agenda that calls for empowering girls and providing the right of education equitably and inclusively for all. We want the girls’ voice and dreams to be our cause. We believe that education is not a separate goal, but rather a part of a larger and more comprehensive perspective of social justice which is being voiced in Baalbeck International Festivals.”
