The Lebanon Education Assistance Development (LEAD) Program
(A post-war rehabilitation project)

Duration of the project
January 2007-September 2009

Funding partner
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Partners
Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF)-USA
Injaz (IL)-Lebanon
Education Center for Research and Development (ECRD)-Lebanon

Beneficiaries
70 public schools from underprivileged and remote areas located in the North Lebanon and the Mount Lebanon Governorates, affected by the July 2006 war.
23,249 students,
Parents, teachers, school staff and community members.

Description
The LEAD project consists of an integrated set of activities aimed at supporting the quality of Lebanese public education and enhancing a culture of dialogue at the community level. By improving the physical and psycho-social environment, social cohesion is reinforced.

Objectives
Creating a healthy and safe educational environment through improved physical space, basic infrastructure, and the increase of access to appropriate technology.
Increasing the interdependence of schools and community through students, parents and targeted community members' engagement in local schools.
Enhancing student growth outside the classrooms through extracurricular clubs and activities.

RMF Activities
As part of the project, RMF launched several awareness and extra-curricular activities in the 70 selected public schools targeting female and male students at all level, parents, teachers and other community members.

Since good health and well-being are needed to achieve students’ full educational potential, the activities were as follows:

Medical check-ups which encompass screening and follow-up is being performed on all Kindergarten and elementary students targeted by the project.

Comprehensive health, nutrition, dental hygiene, and drug use prevention (including alcohol and tobacco) awareness raising sessions are being conducted targeting students at all level.

Extra-curricular activities to meet the recreational and developmental needs of students through the establishment of student clubs, school gardens, outings and inter-school activities are being carried out. These activities provide a medium for students to enhance the messages conveyed during the awareness sessions through real life experiences and responsibilities.

All the activities are tailored to the specific needs of the target population. Continuity and success is being ensured by mobilizing and involving the wider community. Process and outcome evaluation will be performed to reach effectiveness and learn through best practices.

The table below shows the number of beneficiaries for the period running
from the beginning of January to the beginning of June 2008:

	Students	Teachers	Community members/ parents councils
Medical Checkups	10,231
Nutrition sessions	5,324	280	142
Tobacco, Nargileh and Drug Use Prevention	1,424	76
Dental Hygiene	4,081	167
Human rights	3,261	97
Personal Hygiene	2,115	107
Interschool	152	14	1
Outings	1,560	89

Other post-war 2006 rehabilitation project:

The Strengthening of Educational Programs in South Lebanon
Educational and cultural activities for youth in North Lebanon
Economic recovery program for women in war affected regions
Support to rural families affected by the war through the development of cattle raising