In the light of global pandemics and disasters, education is often forgotten. 

READ Foundation believes that education is the tool to eradicate poverty and is dedicated to providing access to education for all vulnerable people within impoverished communities around the world, helping them break free from the cycle of poverty. 

They create educational spaces and provide valuable education to transform the lives of vulnerable children affected by poverty, creating a world free from poverty, where knowledge is passed on and entire communities are empowered with the right tools to learn and grow, transforming futures, boosting economies and offering brighter futures.

Children are given a chance to regain childhood in the bleakest circumstances. They are given books, learning materials, a mobile classroom with screens and interactive whiteboards. They are also given daily food, facemasks and are temperature checked due to the COVID19 pandemic. Importantly they are also given support to help them deal with the trauma of conflict.

Together, we can create real lasting change!

This mission means a lot to me and I would be extremely grateful for your support with this fundraising campaign towards the amazing “School In a Bus”  project in the refugee camps in Lebanon. Children will benefit with an education for years and years to come.

Don't forget to click on the video link!

Education played a big part in my life and I truly believe education is the process of facilitating learning, achieving knowledge, skills, values, morals, beliefs, habits and so much more. Education can change ones life completely!

One of the many reasons why I decided to invest my spare time to help the less fortunate and why this particular project is so important to me is because I appreciate the importance and impact of education through the hardships and experiences of my parents.

I am daughter to parents from a second generation of refugees that came to this country to escape war and conflict in East Africa. In the early 1970’s, Asian East Africans were ordered to leave their country of Uganda and the evacuation process meant that my grandparents and many others had to leave their beloved homeland and the properties they possessed behind. Thousands immigrated to the UK where they were held in RAF camps until suitable lodgings were found. 

My grandparents chose to relocate to Pakistan and then later the UK, being British citizens. The disruptive relocation's caused a huge imbalance to gender equality especially to women, a change of culture, lack of knowing the local language and lack of money for education really hampered women in particular. They did not receive quality education, but my mother was fortunate enough to continue studying later in the UK and my parents and family worked hard to rebuild their lives. 

I am extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to gain qualifications and experience through education. This was encouraged by my parents through their personal experiences and hardship. 

This project will deliver quality education and psychosocial support to refugee children living in the Beqaa camps in Lebanon and will overcome the challenges of location, mobility, and safety. The programme will be offered as a free service to impart poverty relief to struggling refugee families, relieving them of the financial burden that could be associated with sending their children to school.

READ Foundation will be converting a bus into a mobile classroom and will travel across different parts of the refugee camps in Lebanon. The bus will provide access to an education for up to 300 refugee children a year and ensures that once they have the basic skills of reading and writing, the children will be main streamed into traditional schools in the local area.

The bus will ensure that the children do not need to travel miles into the camps to receive an education and instead the education goes to them, ensuring their security and a safe space where they can be themselves.

The project will be adhering to the Covid-19 guidelines and preventative protocols assigned by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education as well as the Ministry Of Public Health in Lebanon.

I kindly ask you to donate whatever you can to help raise the vital funds towards this incredible project, every contribution will help and will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your support. 

Saima Mirza