Syrian Refugees sing a Traditional Samoan Tune
Teacher Randall Wendt & his Syrian refugee students perform a Samoan song for us and he shares a bit about the work he is doing in Beirut.
Talofa Lava & Welcome, Muamua, ou te faafetai i le Atua mo lenei avanoa.
Thank God for this opportunity to be able to share this beautiful musical selection from my students as they sing an old traditional Sāmoan tune called, “La’u Lupe”. I am a 7th grade teacher for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Currently I am serving my 3rd year in the Middle East and North Africa region—one year in Egypt as a high school teacher and 2 years in Lebanon as an elementary teacher at the Adventist Learning Center (ALC).
Here at the ALC, we primarily provide a faith-based elementary education to Syrian refugee children ages 6-12+ who have missed more than one year of schooling due to issues related to war and relocation to a new country. As an NPO, we fundraise 70% of our budget.
Our students who attend our Center enjoy the privilege of receiving a free education only made possible through generous donations and financial contributions. For example, this year we were able to add a seventh grade classroom for the first time, ever. Next school year, we’re pushing to add an eighth grade!
In addition, this year we were also able to begin an off-campus tent school (our newly satellite campus) for Syrian refugees living in tents near the border of Lebanon & Syria. Here at our main campus, we have about 90 students in total and roughly 30 students attending our tent school. God has truly blessed us this year and we believe that God will continue to do so!
To make a donation: gofundme.com/nvt7y-education-for-syrian-refugees
At the ALC, we believe in making life better especially for our children, the future generation. Through education our mission is to instill hope and to show God’s love. Our students have dreams and aspirations too; many want to become doctors, soccer players, history teachers, English teachers, lawyers, civil engineers and so much more!
What we do at the Center is to give them that opportunity by planting that seed of hope; that despite war, they have the opportunity to achieve their goals.