26 Letters

26 Letters is a Syrian-led Spanish non-profit organization based in Beirut, Lebanon. We provide a total of 131 children and teenagers between the ages of 4 and 20 years old with personalized and high-quality educational and vocational services that adapt to their needs, preferences and schedule. Through a  genuine democratic, student-led, multidimensional and comprehensive approach to education, 26 Letters integrates a wide range of educational, psychosocial, vocational and humanitarian activities that aim to ensure the wellness of both children and teens and their families by providing them with flexible activities and services that aim at meeting their needs at all levels, guaranteeing not only their continued survival, but also their ability to thrive.

Out of its 131 students 125 are Syrian refugees living in Lebanon, and all benefit from a formal educational program based on 26 Letters’ independently developed curriculum. This is a holistic curriculum that integrates all school subjects into a coherent and fluid series of English books that are adapted to the particular needs, learning style and interests of each student, guaranteeing targeted and individualized learning. The program also includes one-on-one English classes, Arabic literacy, Math, Spanish and Ethics classes, as well as homework and exams support. Likewise, 26 Letters’ non-formal educational program includes a wide variety of capacity-building training courses, awareness-raising workshops and recreational activities that also adapt to the needs and suggestions of its 131 students.  

The societal challenge that we are seeking to address is the cycle of impoverishment whereby people are unable to access the resources that would lift them or their children out of poverty. At 26 Letters, we view education as a means of breaking that cycle. We empower our students to have access to higher quality opportunities in life, to make decisions differently and to forge a path out of an environment that would push them into child labour to support their families. The objective beyond that is for our students to become agents of change in their own right, making a difference to the lives of those around them in their own community. Within this context, there are many societal needs and challenges that we seek to address, including child labour, underage marriage, sexism, racism and discrimination against marginalized groups. We view our students as agents of change and equip them with the knowledge and cognitive skills to engage critically with their environment and create an effect that challenges the overarching societal norms that keep people trapped in a low-income cycle.

Our strategy to break the cycle of poverty in which our families find themselves takes place in our educational center in Beirut. We provide a holistic program that gives students all the tools to escape from this cycle as well assisting their families in adjusting to this reality. In light of the current crisis in Lebanon we provide not only educational programs (both formal and non-formal) and vocational training to our students and their mothers, but also medical and alimentary aid to their families and households. Education signifies more than classrooms and subjects, encapsulating for us the idea that a student needs access to a big range of experiences and opportunities in order to reach their potential. This includes academic and extra- curricular activities, practical education, psychological and parental support, and targeted workshops on specific subjects.

To this end, 26 Letters offers an individualized and comprehensive support system that covers all their educational and human needs, adapting in an informed and effective way to the particular and changing needs of each one of our members. To do this, our programs transcend the educational framework, offering other support services including humanitarian aid, vocational assistance, psychological assistance, and other services.