The Effectiveness of NGOs’ Intervention in Promoting the Right to Education for Street Children: A Comparative Study between Lebanon and Egypt

Abstract

Purpose: The right to education is guaranteed by Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. While this right is compulsory in Egypt and Lebanon, many street children in both countries aren’t being able to get educated or aren’t having access to such services. NGOs are one of the actors who are trying to fulfill the gap between education and street children. Hence, the purpose of this research is to assess and analyze the effectiveness and impact of NGOs in promoting the right to education for street children in Lebanon (Beirut) and Egypt (Cairo). It will explore the situation of these children in both countries, the policies and programs implemented by NGOs, the role played by these NGOs and the challenges they face. Methodology/Approach/Design: To achieve the purpose of this research, a descriptive analytical general and practical framework with a qualitative approach were conducted to examine the effectiveness of NGOs in promoting the Right to Education for street children. The research also relied on using human rights-based approach in conducting a sample of interviews to collect data from NGOs and experts in the field. Findings: The research findings show that Lebanon and Egypt’s NGOs are trying to improve the situation and their efforts are undeniable but the challenges they face is hindering their effectiveness. Knowing that each country is effective in its own way and in different approaches, NGOs in Egypt have more impact than NGOs in Lebanon. A collective collaboration between Lebanon and Egypt would be valuable for the two countries.