BHS Gives featured in The International Educator – TIE Online

A Worldwide Response to a Desperate Call: Supporters of Brummana High School Inspire Hope

By Richard Bampfylde

Brummana High School is pleased and grateful to announce the achievement of the BHS Gives campaign held at the beginning of December. Thanks to the generosity of so many in our community – parents, old scholars, staff, governors, ex-staff members, Quakers in the UK and right around the world, friends of the school and also students – the school has raised over US$130,000 in Lebanon, the UK, and the US.

175 donors have chosen to provide financial support to the school since the beginning of August 2020, to assist school families struggling to meet tuition fees, either due to the devastating Beirut explosion or the ongoing, crippling economic crisis in the country. Generous donors also gave to the Capital Fund to provide assistance to the school maintaining and updating programmes and facilities.

Over the ten days of BHS Gives, the goal of US$50,000 was exceeded thanks to wonderfully generous support. The Beirut Fund attracted over US$70,000 in total, with this emergency fund, established after the August 4^th blast, providing tuition fee support to those families affected losing either their homes or businesses. The school is delighted to state that school families directly affected have all received substantial support towards the tuition fees for their children, ensuring no student is left behind due to the catastrophe.

There have been many stories of inspiring BHS fundraising campaigns right around the world, not least from the school’s Quaker Trustees, generously providing a BHS Gives matching gift, several UK Quaker schools responding to the call for help as well as the current BHS Student Council whose President Franchesco J. was voted in on the back of his commitment to financial aid.

One of the most enchanting fundraising stories has come from the UK and from Mrs. Sarah Barrett, whose great-grandfather was amongst the earliest pupils at BHS. Sarah was able to raise over GBP2,000 through her cycling fundraising efforts in the UK, travelling by bike many hundreds of miles across the East of England. Another comes from Sidcot School who are fundraising for a second time for the BHS community from February 8^th to 21^st during their “random acts of kindness week” and half-term break. The Sidcot community are raising money through sponsored walking, running and cycling over 4,715 km, the exact distance between Sidcot in the UK and Brummana High School. Both truly remarkable stories in their own right.   

Due to the continuing economic crisis in the country, exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic and social/political unrest, there is little doubt the school is going to need more generous support in the coming months and years to ensure all students can continue to receive a first-class, Quaker education at Brummana High School.

For now, however, the school would like to sincerely thank all those who have been able to support us during such a challenging and desperate time, either by donating much needed financial assistance or by helping raise awareness of our plight amongst communities right around the world.