600 women graduates from US-funded “Hayya Bina” English program || Newspapers (Arabic)

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly presented certificates to more than 600 graduates of the Teach Women English program, bringing the total number of women who have taken part in the program so far to more than 3,000 women. Teach Women English, is a U.S. Embassy funded project run by the Lebanese organization Hayya Bina, and implemented all over Lebanon in collaboration with several NGOs and local municipalities.

Speaking during the ceremony at the Beirut Order of Physicians, Connelly said that she hoped the language skills acquired by the graduates would act as a bridge between them and other Lebanese, keeping the country strong, stable and prosperous. The ambassador also said she hoped more women would begin to participate in public life, particularly government, lamenting the fact that there are no female ministers in the current Cabinet.

Hayya Bina’s president, Loqman Sleem, highlighted the programs goals that provided along with English courses, several cultural and educational components, and which brought students closer to each other despite the fact that they come from different regions of the country. Finally, Sleem added that the Teach Women English is a unique program tailored to the needs in Lebanon and it is not a copy of any foreign curriculum, and that it aims at creating opportunities for women to learn English especially those living in peripheral areas.

Source: The Daily Star, Al-Safir, Al-Mustaqbal 3.12.2012