An entire generation of young people in Lebanon is especially vulnerable because of economic disruption, COVID-19-related unrest and other factors. These are the many hundreds of thousands of young Syrian refugees who currently have limited access to education and job opportunities and therefore have uncertain future prospects.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation wants to help young refugees and other vulnerable young people in Lebanon by awarding grants targeting these people under its Pathways to Youth Empowerment and Self-reliance programme.
The funds are being allocated to projects focusing on education and sustainable livelihood among young Syrian refugees and other groups of vulnerable young people in Lebanon.
In addition, one priority is that the projects can stimulate young people’s social commitment to create cohesion in communities that have received many refugees. With 1.5 million refugees, Lebanon hosts the most Syrian refugees per capita in the world.
“Our ambition for the projects is that they can support several organisations that, like us, want to create future opportunities for the large group of young people living under extremely difficult circumstances. We want to equip them professionally and socially for a future in which they are self-reliant, and we think that education and access to a proper job are crucial steps along the way,” says Mette Ide Davidsen, Senior Programme Lead, Social & Humanitarian, Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Education and employment in focus
The two overarching themes of the project grants target:
- Education
- Sustainable livelihood
Applications are invited for projects that address both themes or only one.
Regardless of the theme, all projects must contribute to an evidence-based knowledge database with lessons and experiences that can contribute to creating new solutions to problems that refugees encounter when they return home, when they have to integrate into their host country or if they establish themselves in a third country.
The Foundation has allocated DKK 40 million for project grants of DKK 10 million to DKK 20 million. The Programme targets organisations in Denmark and their local and international partners.
Read more about the application process here.
Further information
Marie-Louise Jersin, Senior Communications Partner, +45 3049 4957, [email protected]
