SB Overseas

SB OverSeas is a non-profit organisation funded in 2013 and having its HQ in Belgium. We work with refugees and other victims of conflicts, without any reference to the beneficiaries' background, belief or identity. We focus mainly on providing education and empowerment programmes as well as providing psychological support and aid distribution. We currently run two volunteering programmes, one in Belgium (Brussels) and another one in Lebanon (within our centres in Beirut and Saida). In Brussels, through our SB Espoir (SB Hope) weekend activities, we aim to break down barriers by fostering intercultural dialogue and to create an interactive and multicultural environment between the youth of the refugee centres and volunteers. We work with unaccompanied refugee minors who are either in transit in Belgium or are in the process of receiving their asylum permission. Our activities, which vary from sporting activities to arts and crafts, focus on team building and vocational training as a way to develop the youths' skills and support their inclusion in a new country. We do this through the great support of international and/or local volunteers already based in Belgium who receive the chance to expand their horizons and be part of an inclusive community. In Lebanon, we work with refugee children, men and women. We run two centres, respectively in Beirut and Saida and we focus mainly on education and empowerment programs. Due to the Syrian conflict, many families had to flee their home countries to seek refuge in neighboring countries, such as Lebanon. The increase number of refugees has put the Lebanese authorities under strain and as a consequence, many refugees have had less access to fundamental rights. This has particularly affected children who have been exposed to several violation of their fundamental rights, including their right to education. That is where SB OverSeas has stepped in. Between 2014 and 2016, the organisation has set-up two non-formal schools which aim is to provide young children with a chance to catch up their missing schooling years and provide access to the Lebanese public schooling system. Our aim is to prevent a so-called "lost generation", by providing non-formal education. We do this with the support of local teachers (of both Lebanese and Syrian background) and international volunteers. Our international volunteers spend between two and eight months in assisting local teachers delivering English language sessions as well as Math and Science. Furthermore, volunteers have the possibility to partake in Arabic language courses as to better communicate within the local community. We also run an empowerment centre for women and young girls in order to improve and/or develop their skills and have an independent access to the local labour market. Our volunteers have the opportunity to also assist teachers in these lessons. Furthermore, as part of aid distribution, volunteers are welcome to join us on distribution activities in the refugee camps. In addition, the volunteers become involved with local life and join the staff in bonding activities such as soccer matches and bbq days. Furthermore, the local community welcomes the volunteers, and they are invited to meet the families of their students and learn about their lives.