MIDDLE EAST CHILDRENS INSTITUTE INC
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Mission Statement
The Middle East Children's Institute's (MECI) mission is to address the educational, psychosocial, health and basic humanitarian needs of children and women impacted by conflict in the Middle East.
About This Cause
MECI’S VISION is that through education and development of skills, children and women from devastated areas of the Middle East become agents of change, positive role models and leaders, forming vibrant communities and contributing to stability in the region. MECI conducts holistic education programs that aim to build youth’s resilience and apply positive behavior in addressing and dealing with the challenges of their daily life. In the West bank, MECI conducts a comprehensive after-school and summer camp program in a boys primary school, a girls primary school, a boys secondary school, and a girls secondary school serving a total of 1,200 youth. MECI offers remedial support in English, Arabic, math and science; psychosocial therapy through counseling, and activities in art, sports, drama and music; leadership development through weekly community service and life skills training; and nutrition through daily snacks. For youth in the secondary schools, MECI has developed a specially designed curriculum focused on improving their physical and mental health, and aims to provide youth who are at-risk of succumbing to the symptoms of violence and trauma with the opportunity to identify their academic strengths and talents, and benefit from a support system where they can process and channel their emotions towards positive outlets. In 2013, UNICEF recognized the impact of MECI’s educational approach in the West Bank, which allows the most vulnerable to excel academically, build leadership skills, and find outlets for self-expression and tension-release through arts, sports and music. MECI was selected by UNICEF to bring lessons learned from its experience to address the education crisis facing Syrian refugee children living in Jordan. As a result, MECI has been conducting informal and remedial education for Syrian refugee children ages 6 - 12 living in Jordan who do not attend formal school. MECI's program aims to find Syrian refugee children who are out-of-school in Jordan, provide them with the opportunity to catch up on the years they have lost through informal education, and eventually transition back into the public school system. MECI also offers remedial support to vulnerable Jordanian children in an effort to serve the host community and improve social cohesion between Syrian and Jordanian children. Since 2014, MECI has reached 3,300 children in Jordan. Based on MECI's success, UNICEF has requested that MECI upscale operations in 2016 to reach 6,000 children in Jordan. In addition, MECI formed a partnership with the Malala Fund, and is providing informal education and life skills support to 900 adolescent Syrian refugee girls living in Jordan in 2016. MECI is registered as a public charity in the United States and Switzerland, and as an international NGO in Jordan. MECI has headquarter offices in Washington D.C., USA and Montreux, Switzerland and a regional office in Amman, Jordan that oversee MECI's education programs in Jordan and the West Bank. MECI works with partners in the Middle East, including Mercy Corps, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the Malala Fund. MECI has over 200 field staff on the ground in the West Bank and Jordan who are managing and conducting program activities. MECI was founded and is headed by Lola Nashashibi Grace, who has lead an active career in finance and is presently engaged in a number of philanthropic and community interests. Lola oversees organizational operations from MECI’s Switzerland office. Lena Alfi, MECI’s Director of Strategic Partnerships manages MECI’s Washington D.C. office and is focused on expanding MECI’s partnerships. MECI’s Amman office is headed by the regional director, Dr. Lina Farouqi, who has 30 years of management experience in Jordan’s educational and nonprofit sectors. Lina oversees all program implementation in the region.