On behalf of all of us at LE.O, we want to thank our loyal supporters: board members, foundations, private donors, universities, host families, business networks, and volunteers for their tireless support, words of encouragement, guidance, and love. Without you, we would not be entering our tenth year of operations!
I also wish to thank the students who helped me establish the program and community and continue volunteering with me to ensure our success.
What have we learned these past years? The answer is simple: determination, hard work, dedication, vision, resilience, action, not just words, and a safety net are all essential to attaining our collective goals. Re-evaluating processes, flexibility, and focus on individual needs are key. We have learned that LE.O’s Palestinian youth comes with numerous challenges depending on the type of IDs they carry, from lack of freedom of movement and poverty to international travel and adjustment to new environments, all of which make up the complex issues that the students at LE.O face.
The journey has been far from easy for everyone, yet we have persevered and risen above the unthinkable.
Here’s a glimpse at LE.O between then and now:
- Five students 9 years ago, now we are at 300.
- Our funding grew from $48,597.21 the first year to $613,394.96 this year, an increase due to our Gaza initiative.
- We started in partnership with 5 institutions in the U.S., and now, including the countries where the students live, we have students at 35 schools globally.
- Our students are studying in 18 different countries.
29 students have been launched into the workforce Globally!
The value of our program is also reflected in the existing full and partial scholarships for the students we matched; the total is approximately $12 million.
Due to the genocide in Gaza, and thanks to a LE.O already studying medicine at Mansoura University, we were alerted to the urgent need. In January this year, we established a Call to Action initiative in Egypt for medical and dental students from Gaza led by our board member, Dr. AbdelFattah. A detailed Newsletter will follow.
Please explore our website to learn more, read our previous Newsletters, and watch our documentary.
We added a QR code that includes all our social media as well as our YouTube channel connected through Linktree.
Lastly, I wish to share a photo from what seems like a lifetime ago and honor our LE.Os still in Gaza. They gathered last year to celebrate our birthday. We hold them all close to our hearts, along with the LE.Os who are studying abroad, and whose families are still in Gaza.
All our students need your support now more than ever. We are still very motivated and determined to continue our much-needed work, and we can only do this with your help. Imagine what achievements they will have accomplished one day through the gift of an education. Education not only impacts their futures, the lives of their families and communities, but also that of the Palestinian People.
I thank you on behalf of everyone who is touched by your generosity and thoughtfulness.
Happy Birthday LE.O!
Deya’