At the core of the program is a simple but powerful idea: young people are often the strongest resource for each other. The program targets youth aged 14 to 25 in refugee camps in Lebanon and offers training in key topics such as reproductive health and sexuality, psychosocial health, violence in the family and among youth, and life skills and leadership. If you want to read about the project in Norwegian, named ‘Ungdom hjelper ungdom’, you can do so HERE. 

The Peer Education Program is run by Beit Atfal Assomoud (BAS), a non-religious and politically neutral Palestinian/Lebanese non-governmental organisation headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon. As a result, all donations made to NORWAC for this project go directly to them. BAS was established in 1976 in response to the massacre in the Palestinian refugee camp of Tel Al Zaatar. Since then, the organisation has worked in major Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, focusing on children, youth and women in families facing social, economic, or health-related challenges. When needed, BAS also provides support to children from other national backgrounds. The Peer Education Program began in 1986, but has since had various collaborating partners. However, the program is now a collaborative partner with NORWAC and a core part of BAS’s psychosocial work.

The program is facilitated by qualified social workers, who support and guide the youth throughout the process. Over time, participants take on leadership roles and responsibilities. By recognising that young people often learn best from those they trust, their friends and peers, the program strengthens not only individual participants, but also families and the wider community. Families and local society are therefore seen as essential partners in the program’s success.

Education is delivered through interactive models that emphasise active participation, creativity and dialogue. Rather than passive learning, young people are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences and resources.

Girls and boys participate on equal terms, with a strong focus on gender awareness and inclusion.

We are incredibly grateful for the program, and our children have changed in so many ways since they began participating in the program. They are more confident, have better belief in themselves, they dare to have their own opinions, and take more initiative around the camps

–  mother of a child participating in the program

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