I am deeply grateful for your precious prayers and encouraging programs. There is no church here, but thanks to you I never feel alone."
— Viewer from Türkiye
Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has forced millions of children out of school. In light of this, we explore how local churches along with SAT‑7’s educational programs are helping children continue learning in the most difficult circumstances.
Civil war in Sudan has created one of the worst education crises in the world, with more than 90 percent of the country’s 19 million school-age children having no access to formal education.1 Elsewhere in the region, over half a million children in Gaza are out of school,2 and eight out of ten schools have been damaged or destroyed.3 After nine years of conflict in Yemen, 4.5 million children are missing out on an education, according to Save the Children.4
Churches Providing Holistic Help
A recent episode of the SAT-7 ARABIC program Different Angle heard from a diverse range of voices in the region on how deep the education crisis runs in war-affected MENA nations. It also revealed how, despite intense difficulties, the Church is helping.
“The situation is terrible and unbearable,” said Pastor Koko from the Anglican Church in Sudan. The conflict there, which broke out in April 2023, has forced around nine million people from their homes.5 Schools are often used to shelter refugees, and in some cases, up to 80 people are housed in one classroom.
“Sudan has been going through catastrophes, and they have affected society, economy, and all other aspects of life,” said Pastor Koko. The Church in Sudan is doing all it can to help people with various needs. “Our church provides a holistic ministry that includes education, health services, and more,” said Pastor Koko.
Different Angle also heard from Pastor Yasser Kalo based in Cairo, Egypt. He shared how his church has been receiving refugees from Sudan and offering them an education. “The people who pay the price of war are children,” he explained. “It is challenging for them to join schools. Their numbers have become so large. The church has supplied basic education for all children so they may not lose a year of schooling.”
Pastor Kalo’s church is helping to meet people’s physical needs by providing food and drinks and also by providing emotional and spiritual support for those who are traumatized and grieving.
The Role of Media in Education
In recent months, Lebanon has been drawn deeper into the Holy Land conflict, and this is compounding problems in the education system there. “Education in Lebanon has been affected since the beginning of COVID,” science teacher Jesse El Sekaly from Lebanon told Different Angle. “After we started to overcome this crisis, war came along, and it hurt a large number of students. Even online learning became unavailable because of the damage to connections. Many families had to leave their towns to go to places where education is available.”
Jesse believes in the power of digital learning, even if it is not an ideal long-term solution. “The role of media is very important in the absence of educational facilities,” she said. “It can transmit a message from teachers to students if there’s war. It can support temporarily.”
SAT-7 is continuing to produce educational programs to meet the needs of viewers who cannot attend in-person education because of conflict, crises, or other factors.
My School, SAT-7’s most extensive education project of over 400 episodes teaching Arabic, Mathematics, Science, English, and French, is freely available to Arabic speakers via the SAT-7 PLUS streaming service.
Other current and upcoming programs are also providing education to children from other parts of the MENA. Mini City on SAT-7 TÜRK has been offering homeschooling content and craft ideas throughout the summer for parents who want to keep their children’s minds and bodies active. Türkiye is one of the largest refugee-hosting countries worldwide,6 particularly for Syrians, so this program will be helpful for them as they seek to learn Turkish and settle into a new culture.
For Dari speakers, most of whom are from Afghanistan, the upcoming SAT-7 PARS education program Sun of Hope will help Afghan viewers learn to read and write. An estimated 3.7 million children are out of school in Afghanistan,7 and since retaking control of the country three years ago, the Taliban has banned girls from attending secondary school and receiving higher education.
SAT-7’s CEO Rita El-Mounayer says:
Education enables children to learn vital knowledge and develop core skills, but it also gives them hope for a better future. It is wonderful to hear how churches in the MENA are stepping up to meet this need in places affected by conflict. And we at SAT-7 are pleased to be able to play our part, by providing various opportunities through our programs and online content for children to learn, wherever they are.”
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