Education Above All’s Al Fakhoora programme signs partnership

Education Above All’s Al Fakhoora programme signs partnership with SPARK to support 800 Syrian refugees through scholarships for higher education

Building on its success in empowering youth in Gaza through access to higher education, Al Fakhoora launched its expansion project in support of Syrian youth in partnership with Dutch NGO, SPARK. The 8M USD pilot component of a 28.1 million USD programme will provide 800 Syrian refugees and Palestinians from underserved backgrounds with four year scholarships to enrol in universities.

Al Fakhoora, a programme of the Education Above Foundation was launched in 2009, following the Israeli aggression on Gaza, in support of promoting and facilitating access to higher education. Since its launch in 2009, the programme has successfully enrolled approximately 600 students into universities in Gaza and provided international scholarships to 30 students in specializations that contribute to the rebuilding of the strip . Farooq Burney, director of Al Fakhoora said: “The provision of higher education for refugee students contributes significantly to the rebuilding of communities torn apart by conflict and violence. Over the course of the past five years we have seen the vitality and productivity injected into communities through empowered young Palestinians. In collaboration with SPARK, we believe that this is an opportune investment in an integral element that will contribute to the rebuilding of Syria.”

At the signing ceremony held in London prior to the Supporting Syrian Conference Yannick du Pont, director of SPARK said: “SPARK’s mission is to develop higher education and entrepreneurship to empower young, ambitious youth to lead their conflict affected societies into prosperity. Through its higher education programmes and job creation SPARK aims to diminish the potential for conflict, giving special attention to marginalised groups, including youth, women, returning refugees and IDPs”.

The project will offshoot and expansion from Fakhoora’s successful Dynamic Futures Scholarship programme, which not only provides students with quality education but further economic empowerment for their families, training in leadership and development, and student affairs. It will operate in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and West Bank & East Jerusalem.

The partnership will also provide grounds to explore advocacy campaign to better communicate key challenges facing refugees’ and Palestinians’ right to education.