SCHOLARSHIPS

Words from VFL Founder

"Education is a nation’s inheritance ; it forges the future of our children, saves them from ignorance, intolerance, poverty and opens doors for the future''

Mrs. Lily Sara

How did it all start?

Lebanese public schooling system has been severely impacted by the years of civil war, forcing families to enroll their children in private schools.   Back in 1989, with the drastic devaluation of the Lebanese currency, VFL started its scholarship program as many families were either dropping their children out of schools or unable to pay the tuitions.

In 1989, Ms. Lily Sara, VFL founder, visited the ‘College St. Michel ‘of the Jesuits congregation in Belgium to share the economic disaster Lebanon was facing after the years of war. “We are counting on the new generation to rebuild the country and we need your financial support to contribute to its education” says Mrs. Sara. A journey of collaboration and unequalled support started with the Belgian community and is still on-going to date.

Scholarships Nowadays

Ensuring access to education to the children of Lebanon is a key pillar of VFL’s mission; currently VFL sponsors around 1,500 children thanks to the funding of many international and some local donors.
 

Attracting sponsors has become more challenging over the years, especially in the last decade; Today VFL is in dire need of new donors to cope with the increasing number of Lebanese families in difficult condition.

How Does It Work?

Families contact the VFL office or one of its members. Each and every family profile is reviewed by our social worker: she evaluates the social and financial situation, validates with the school and fills out the applications.

The child’s file is then presented to the sponsor who, unless he wishes, is never in direct contact with the child’s family. Communication always flows through the VFL.

The sponsor has an obligation to donate a minimum amount per child that does not cover the full tuition. It is up to the donor to decide to fund more or not.

Twice a year, the sponsored child corresponds by mail with his sponsor and at the end of the school year shares with him a copy of his grades.