Our Work in Lebanon

In Lebanon, The Library Project provides Book Donations and Literacy Programs to community centers located in refugee camps. These programs support Lebanese and Syrian youth and adults by expanding access to books, strengthening reading opportunities, and creating supportive learning spaces.

Our Book Donations help community centers provide reading materials for children, young adults, and adults who may have experienced years of disrupted education. These donations support literacy programming, independent reading, and continued learning outside of formal school settings.

The Library Project also provides Capacity Building for local literacy nonprofit organizations in Lebanon. This support is free of charge and may include one-on-one mentoring, planning tools, fundraising guidance, program development support, and access to practical resources. By strengthening local organizations, we help build long-term, community-led literacy impact for refugee communities.

Literacy in Refugee Camps in Lebanon

Lebanon is home to diverse refugee communities, including Palestinian refugees, Syrian refugees, Palestine refugees from Syria, and other displaced families. Many live in refugee camps, informal settlements, or camp-adjacent communities where access to education, books, and safe learning spaces can be limited.

These education barriers affect learners of all ages. Children may miss the opportunity to build foundational reading skills, adolescents may fall behind or leave school early, and adults may need literacy support to continue learning, access information, and support their families. UNHCR reports that Lebanon hosts around 610,000 registered Syrian refugee children and youth ages 3 to 24, many of whom face challenges accessing formal and non-formal education.

For Palestinian refugee communities, schools and community-based education services play an important role in supporting continued learning. UNRWA reports that it provides education services to 39,144 Palestine refugee students in Lebanon through 65 schools. UNICEF has also supported accelerated learning for out-of-school Palestinian refugee children, helping students reconnect with education after interrupted schooling.

For Syrian refugee communities, poverty, displacement, transportation costs, school-related expenses, child labor, and limited household resources continue to interrupt education. These pressures can reduce access to school, literacy development, and continued learning. Human Rights Watch has documented barriers to education for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon, while the Norwegian Refugee Council has reported that bullying, violence, and difficulty learning the Lebanese curriculum have contributed to dropout among Syrian refugee students.

Reading is the foundation for learning, communication, and long-term opportunity. In refugee camps and displaced communities, access to books and literacy programs can help children stay connected to learning, support youth who have experienced interrupted education, and provide adults with opportunities to strengthen reading skills. The Library Project’s work in Lebanon responds to this need by supporting community centers in refugee camps with free Book Donations and Literacy Programs, while also strengthening local literacy nonprofit organizations through Capacity Building.