Palestinian scholarship student ranks 2nd on national exams

posted on: Sep 18, 2015

Every year ANERA’s scholarship program helps dozens of Palestinians in Lebanon to pursue a higher education and achieve their dreams. Many receive a scholarship from a variety of donors who partner with ANERA in this program. Without financial assistance, the young Palestinian students could not afford to continue their education.

Marwa Dirawi was 15 when ANERA advertised its scholarship program. She didn’t hesitate to apply. “I was in seventh grade and I’d passed the official exams but I knew it was the end of my schooling,” says Marwa, “We are a family of six and my parents want to give a basic education for my other siblings too. So they couldn’t afford to pay my high school fees. That’s why I dropped out of school.”

When Marwa saw ANERA’s poster in a community center in Beirut’s southern suburb, she says it changed everything and renewed her dream of finishing school.

ANERA has partnered with Abdel El Hady Debs Technical School in Beirut for the scholarship program, which focuses on teaching Palestinian students the skills they need to find good paying jobs and overcome the legal and administrative hurdles of the Lebanese labor market. Classes range from interior design, electronics or hairdressing to accounting, architectural drawing and more. Graduates then can access the job market or better still pursue a college education.

When Marwa got the scholarship she went to the institute to enroll in mechanical engineering. “But the supervisor told me this specialty was only open to men, so I chose architectural drawing,” Marwa explains, “Even though architecture was not my first choice, I managed to be the best of my class for all three years.”

Source: www.anera.org