Tripoli, Lebanon - Thursday, June 5th 2014 [ME NewsWire]

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) –SMALLWORLD Founder and President, Mrs. Salam Hamzeh Ghaith, accompanied by three committee members paid a visit to UNHCR’s compound in Tripoli last week. The visit followed a generous donation of 500,000 Emirati Dirhams made by SMALLWORLD early this month to UNHCR in support of protection activities for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.

Explaining the reasons behind SMALLWORLD’s recent decision to contribute to UNHCR, Mrs. Salam said: "We at SMALLWORLD are very concerned about the fate of Syrian refugee children, these children are our children and they deserve to have a hope for a better future. This year, we are pleased to partner with UNHCR. Our contribution will be used to protect and facilitate the return to school for 500 vulnerable Syrian refugee children at risk in Lebanon.”

The SMALLWORLD delegation inaugurated the trip by visiting UNHCR’s refugee registration center (registering 400 Syrian refugees per day) in the city of Tripoli, North Lebanon. They met with a number of newly arrived Syrians waiting to be registered with UNHCR. They also visited the center’s child-friendly recreational area open for Syrian refugee children.

Jean-Paul Cavalieri, UNHCR’s Deputy Representative in Lebanon welcomed SMALLWORLD’s contribution, emphasizing the importance of this donation by saying: “As UNHCR we are very grateful for this contribution of half a million dirhams by SMALLWORLD. This will make a big difference in our programmes vis-à-vis children, the most innocent victims of this conflict. With this generous contribution from SMALLWORLD, we will be able to help up to 500 children, providing them with protection from violence and helping create the conditions for their return to school.”

In addition to the refugee registration center, UNHCR and SMALLWORLD visited the Social Charity Association education center in Tripoli’s Bab Al Ramel, one of various education centers offering different forms of informal education to Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.Once an abandoned orphanage, it is now offering Accelerated Learning Programmes (ALPs) to around 90 Syrian refugee children in North Lebanon.

ALPs aim at equipping Syrian children with the necessary language skills in order to cope with the Lebanese curriculum and successfully enroll in formal education. While visiting the center, Salam Hamzeh Ghaith explained to children the purpose behind her visit and how SMALLWORLD educates children in more than 15 countries worldwide to give them a “ Hope for a better future `” she also distributed SMALLWORLD wristbands to children in all classes. A final stop was made at a community center in Tripoli’s Al Minah, where the delegation was briefed on child protection intervention and its significance in identifying Syrian refugee children at high-risk and hence in need of referral and follow up.

In November 2013, SMALLWORLD held its annual Gala in Abu Dhabi and dedicated the biggest portion of proceeds to UNHCR to identify, refer and assist 500 Syrian refugee children at risk of protection violations in Lebanon during 2014. Influential figures such as world-acclaimed Lebanese fashion designer Nicolas Jebran supported the Gala and participated in the visit.

In an act of outstanding hospitality, Lebanon is now hosting more than one million Syrian refugees, living among the host communities.

About SMALLWORLD

The SMALLWORLD charity initiative was launched in 2011 by Mrs. Salam Hamzeh Ghaith under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak al Nahayan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development. Its goal is to generate awareness of child related issues around the world and raise funds in collaboration with the Emirates Red Crescent to support NGOs actively working with children in need and providing them with the proper education which paves their way to a brighter future. After three years of consecutive success, SMALLWORLD was able to reach out to 39 countries and 55 charities in total, allowing it to support and educate more than 2,000 children worldwide.

Contacts

Dima Jarmakani  

Mob: +971 55 490 3009

Tel: +971 2 658 3387

dima.j@plusheventsuae.com

www.plusheventsuae.com

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