Single Mothers' Program 2015/2016

Schneller School continued its Single Mothers' Program for the Academic Year 2015/2016. This year we offered two vocational training programs for Syrian refugee mothers from neighboring camps: one for hairdressing and another for sewing. Ten single mothers attend each program.
We began the Hairdressing program on Wednesday 18 November 2015, and the Sewing program on Thursday 7 January 2016.
In addition to vocational training the women are provided with an income equivalent to their daily wages. They are also provided with diesel to heat their tents, medical care, and medications. They receive milk and bottled water for their children. They are provided with the monthly rent for the land on which each woman's tent is pitched in the camp (50 US$ per month).
Ten fire extinguishers were provided to the camp where they live, in order to help them put out fires quickly and hopefully prevent disasters that occurred in Syrian refugee camps last year.
The Kindergarten Center where children spend the day is heated and has hot water. We thank our German partners EVS/EMS, Mr. Abie Moussa, and the Rotary Club - Hamburg (Dr. Heinrich Köhler) for providing us with funds to renovate the old house and turn it into a lovely kindergarten center.
We provide the women with soap, shampoo, and towels in order to shower and bathe their children as needed.
All are provided with a snack at 10:00 AM and a hot meal at 12:30 PM.
Like all other children in Schneller School, the Syrian refugee children of this program received Christmas presents just before the Christmas holiday.
The same system that was applied the last two years is applied this year. Half of the women receive training on one day while the other half looks after the children. The following day the roles are exchanged.
This year we employed a pre-school teacher to teach the children from 10:00 AM till 12:00 PM. The previous two years the mothers were not doing much with the children. The children now enjoy pre-school instruction and activities during that time.
Transportation is provided daily from the camp to Schneller School and back.
The Single Mothers' Program the last two years was a great success. Most of the single mothers who attended it were able to generate income and support their children.
It also was a great learning experience. Those involved in the program learnt to open up, learn about others, and experience coexistence and life across religious and cultural boundaries.
The program is an excellent manifestation, in a practical way, of our peace education program.
This program is kindly supported by our EVS/EMS partners in Germany to whom we express our sincere gratitude.

The mothers and children are also provided with medical care and medications as needed through the school clinic.
This year one of the mothers discovered she had breast cancer. She was not able to get any charity or NGO to pay for her surgery and treatment. She was also turned down by the UN for some technicality about her status.
We provided her with the necessary funds to undergo the necessary surgery. We directly paid Hariri Hospital in Beirut for the cost of her surgery which she underwent during the Christmas holiday.
News after the surgery was very positive. The cancer was in a very early stage. She will only need minimal treatment which is a great relief.
We had more good news when the doctor who performed the surgery decided not to charge any fees. This brought the bill down keeping some funds with Hariri Hospital for the treatment.
We express our sincere gratitude to the doctor for his wonderful kindness.
Based on the tests after surgery, the doctor decided she will need eight sessions of chemotherapy. She had the first session on Wednesday 21 January.
We praise God that the funds needed were much less than anticipated prior to the surgery.
We express our sincere gratitude to our German partners EMS for paying for her surgery and treatment.

Sway presentation on Single Mothers' Program

You can read about the previous two years of this program on the following links:
Vocational Training for Syrian Refugee Women
Syrian Single Mothers' Graduation
Single Mothers' Program 2015
Graduation for Single Mothers 2015