A Moroccan man who followed SAT-7 on Facebook in search of answers to his questions about...
Hundreds of millions of children worldwide remain out of school, and it is feared that 16 million may never return1. With school systems in Middle East and North Africa countries among the most disrupted in the world, SAT-7 ACADEMY is stepping up its support to help children keep learning.
“It is more important than ever to support children’s education in every way and on every platform that we can,” says Juliana Sfeir, Brand Manager for the educational brand. “Multiple factors including the pandemic, insecurity, and economic crisis are limiting children’s access to education. Our support may now make the vital difference to whether or not they persevere in their learning.”
In Lebanon, where 78 percent of the population is now living in poverty2, families face the choice between trying to help their children learn at home – while continually interrupted by power cuts – or sending them to school during a pandemic while the healthcare system is on its knees. More than 1.2 million children in Lebanon are not attending school3 – and heartbreakingly, 90 percent of Syrian refugees there, whose education was originally disrupted by displacement, are now out of school again.
As some children return to classrooms, SAT-7 ACADEMY is offering additional opportunities for learning and growth for Arabic-speakers who cannot. Children can now access four seasons of the primary education series My School on-demand on SAT-7’s new streaming platform, SAT-7 PLUS. The fifth season, which has been revamped to support the most vulnerable children, is currently in production. In the meantime, My School’s teachers are streaming live lessons every week on social media.
In addition to My School, SAT-7 ACADEMY will now launch a daily educational segment on Facebook. This will offer videos including Coaching for Youth, a youth version of Expert Advice, a popular program that shares health information from professionals across many disciplines. A second segment will guide children through arts and crafts activities along with caring for the environment, while Rhythm and Melody Special will deliver music therapy.
Nada Mouawad, presenter of Follow Up
On SAT-7’s Arabic satellite channels, as well as social media, SAT-7 ACADEMY has just launched the third season of Follow Up, a program that helps parents support children in their education. This season offers a new format with competitions and challenges between children from different schools on the topics of the environment, robotics, writing, and theater. Clips and discussion help viewers learn the content at home and be inspired from the challenges.
Children have often shared the difference SAT-7 ACADEMY makes to them. Renalda, a refugee mother from Iraq, recently shared how My School helped her daughter keep up despite years of missed schooling. And Gameela from Lebanon said:
All the programs are wonderful! I learned how to spell from you. I always make mistakes in division problems, but when I watched the math lessons, I learned how to solve them. I didn’t know how to write in French before, but now I do. Thank you.”
SAT-7’s other channels are also raising awareness of educational issues and supporting children. Programs for adults on both SAT-7 TÜRK and the Persian-language channel SAT-7 PARS have recently addressed issues of literacy, inequalities in education, and struggles with remote learning. Meanwhile, the Turkish programs Mini City and Turning Point offer activities and discussion that help children and youth develop problem-solving skills and emotional development. Similarly, children’s programs on the Persian-language channel SAT-7 PARS support children emotionally through difficult times.
“It is very important for us to contribute to raising awareness of the importance of literacy in our country,” explains Gülsüm I., Deputy Executive Director of SAT-7 TÜRK. “Children and young people are the next generation that we hope will lead Turkey to a better future.”
A regular gift of any amount will help SAT-7 continue to offer much‑needed educational content for children throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Click here to learn how.
[1] Build Forward Better (September 2021), report by Save the Children
[2] Lebanon Emergency Response Plan 2021 – 2022 (August 2021), OCHA
[3] Lebanon Education in Crisis: Raising the Alarm (March 2021), report by Save the Children
In 2023, at least 81% of your gift went directly to fund programs building up women, children, and families across the Middle East.
