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"At only twelve years old, Ali has become his family’s breadwinner. He works eleven hours daily at an automobile repair shop near the refugee camp where his Syrian family lives. He earns almost $15 each week. His father, Mahmoud, couldn’t find work; desperate, the family had sent Ali to look instead. “I know that they hired my son instead of me because they can pay a child less and he is easier to exploit,” says Mahmoud. Ali’s family isn’t happy with the situation, but they need Ali’s income to stay off the streets. One day at the repair shop, Ali is struck on the head by a falling iron rod. He needs medical attention, but between him and the hospital is a checkpoint. Ali doesn’t have a residency permit, so he knows that if he goes through the checkpoint he will be detained, or worse. So he doesn’t. Instead, he wishes he could go to school and waits for his head to feel better. Stories like Ali’s are startlingly common among families living in Lebanon and are becoming more common as Lebanon continues to struggle with its refugee crisis." *

In the school Ali should attend, teachers are underpaid, exhausted, and under-resourced. These are the schools where we want to bring jiu-jitsu to children. Hope Tribe is partnering with a program on the ground in Lebanon that’s looking to inspire children who are facing unsurmountable challenges. Together, our aim is to empower underprivileged and refugee kids through jiu jitsu.

We’ve connected to two schools and 160 students in some of the poorest neighborhoods in Lebanon. There is a team in place ready to offer 60-90 minute classes to these children, up to five times a week. We are rallying a Hope Tribe to raise funds to cover the cost of 9 months of classes for 50 of these children. The children will be paired up and grouped by age (5-14 years) at two locations for classes. There will also be one field trip per month, to help the kids build a social life and connect with other aspects of their country.

The program will measure and record the children's experiences through tracking their progress and emotional health. The children will also write firsthand stories about their experiences. The leadership team will continually assess and make adjustments to the program as needed to best serve the kids.

The program will be led and managed by a brown belt and Master's World Champion.

100% of your donation will benefit these children. When you join, you’ll be added to a private group to receive insider updates, have opportunities to get to know more about the kids, the challenges they face and learn how you can specifically advocate.

*Quote from lawblogs.us.edu Nov. 14th 2019 “Lebanon’s Refugee Crisis: Part 1”