Since the outbreak of war in neighbouring Syria, over 1.5 million Syrian people have sought shelter in Lebanon. The small country of 6 million residents also plays host to nearly 500,000 Palestinian refugees. SPARK supports the most vulnerable, marginalised youth in Lebanon to continue their higher (vocational) education and find legal employment. Job opportunities are scarce, even for young Lebanese people (youth unemployment is over 35%), but laws prevent refugee communities from entering certain employment fields. We aim to break the cycle of aid dependence that refugees face by providing courses relevant to rebuilding their home countries or access to the labour market.
Programmes in this location
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inactive programme
Entrepreneurship and Business Development Activities (EBDA)
EBDA, meaning ‘begin’ in Arabic, supports Syrian entrepreneurship in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan by guiding young Syrian refugees to start…
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active programme
Higher Education Services (HES)
SPARK is the largest provider of scholarships for Syrian refugees in the Middle East. The HES programme started by responding…

Reef, a catering company, won first place in a business plan competition and received €10,000 in startup capital. The food is cooked entirely by rural women and other underprivileged communities. The funding will be used to refurbish their kitchens to meet hygiene and safety standards.
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2104Scholarships Provided
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1370Youth Trained
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872Received Student Services
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899Youth Graduated