Loyal Supporters of LAU, Ajialouna Makes Direct Donation of $74,000 towards Students, Funded by Pepsico
“We live to give,” is the fitting motto for one of LAU’s most dedicated benefactors, Ajialouna. For over a decade, the NGO has been supporting student scholarships at the Lebanese American University (LAU). Since 2006, through its scholarship program, Tomooh, Ajialouna has been guaranteeing that LAU’s most driven scholars can continue their studies, no matter their financial status. Now, they have taken the opportunity to provide even more vital and direct funding to LAU’s students at a time when they need it most.
One of LAU’s most dedicated benefactors, Ajialouna, has just renewed its support of the institution’s students and will be providing even more scholarships to cover tuition fees in fall 2021. Students who are interested should apply online, to benefit from Ajialouna’s continued backing.
Ajialouna has been backing LAU’s students for decades, through their Tomooh Scholarship Program, which is funded by Pepsico. Recently, the organization made a direct gift to the institution’s students for the first time. Their recent donation of $74,000 towards the Tomooh – Pepsico Ajialouna Annual Scholarship Grant, directly assisted 27 students from various schools at LAU, by covering their academic year 2020-2021 tuitions fees.
“Without this support, I would not be able to afford to study at LAU,” says Alaa Soubra, an Applied Physics student who has benefitted from the recent direct donation. “Thanks to Pepsico, who made this possible by funding Ajialouna’s mission, I can look forward to graduating in 2023,” she says.
Karen Imad Shallah, another student who received backing from the grant, shares Soubra’s sentiment. “Honestly, if I hadn’t received this support I wouldn’t have been able to proceed with my 2nd and 3rd years at LAU,” she says. Now, she looks forward to graduating in 2023 with a Pharmacy degree that can lead her to new heights.
Countless students like Soubra and Shallah are given the chance to pursue their degrees thanks to the support of Tomooh, a scholarship program that provides aid to students in need throughout Lebanon. They provided 2,057 to the country’s most promising young scholars from 2006-2015, 30% of which were from LAU. Now, they have stepped up yet again at a time when the need for help is growing at an unprecedented rate.
“Since 2006, Ajialouna has been providing support to LAU’s students from all faculties and schools. Now, their first direct donation is incredibly beneficial for everyone involved, and will immediately serve to help the institution’s students make it through the incredibly trying times they face now,” says Paula El-Haddad, Associate Director of Development at LAU. She also notes that starting next year, students can apply to Ajialouna – who will be working closely with LAU’s Development Office to provide funds for chosen applicants.
The 27 students that received direct support from the recent gift are now able to continue their studies at LAU. Thanks to the important grant, and Ajialouna’s dedication to empowering the youth with education, many of LAU’s most deserving young scholars do not have to consider holding back on their dreams of attaining an excellent education.