Refugee Families in Lebanon Lacking Basic Needs
In 2017, I traveled to Lebanon and volunteered for a year at a refugee school, after reading about the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. During that year, I taught music to fourth and fifth graders, pictured below.
When I first arrived in Lebanon, I was 19, and was completely naive to the raw trauma and cruelty of reality, the unfairness that life handles some of the kindest, most generous people.
I took this image in the spring of 2018, at a refugee camp in the Bekaa valley near the Syrian border. The people I met at this camp were so caring, warm, friendly, and hospitable despite having lost homes and everything they had due to the ongoing conflict in Syria. They had gone through so much and yet offered us food and began preparing a meal for the volunteers. They were willing to give what they barely had themselves.
Today, they are facing a serious crisis due to the political and economic situation in Lebanon.
Please consider supporting them by donating and sharing information about the issue or GoFundMe link. If you have further questions or would like additional details on specific families your donations will go to or needs that will be met, please contact me.
For every $50 or more donated, you will receive a painting of your choice from a collection assembled by the combined efforts and creativity of undergraduate university students from all over the U.S. For every $100 or more donated, you will be gifted a painting of your choice from selected artwork by Maysa, a 16-year-old Syrian refugee currently living in Lebanon. Your gift of a painting is a token of our profound appreciation — that you took the time to extend empathy and support to families half a world away. [For more details on the collection of paintings or additional art pieces by Syrian refugee students which are for sale, scroll to the bottom of the page.]
"In October 2019 the fragile equilibrium that many of the refugees had found in Lebanon was shattered when massive protests broke out across the country as citizens fought political and economic corruption. The value of the local currency began to decrease and countless refugees and citizens lost their jobs. Due to inflation of over 500% in 2020, nearly 70% of the population of Lebanon lives below the poverty level. Refugees, who already made significantly less than locals, now have to try to live on salaries that are worth an average of $60 USD per month and don’t come close to the amount needed for a single family to live for even a week. Covid-19 and a full shutdown of the country have worsened the problem as now almost all families are unable to work. Without income, they have no way to pay their rent or even feed their children."
- Alexis Hurd-Shires, director of ALC
ALC or Adventist Learning Center is the refugee school I volunteered at in Lebanon. All donations will go directly to refugee families whose children are currently attending or have attended this school. “Adventist Learning Center has been providing 1st to 8th-grade education to Syrian and Kurdish refugees in Beirut, Lebanon since 2013. After fleeing the Syrian war, escaping the ISIS occupation, and surviving the destruction of Kurdish territories, students crave the stability and normalcy that an education can provide. Through this outreach center, the Adventist Church in the Middle East has the ability to meet the most basic needs the refugees face while also showing the love of Christ tangibly as the families work to rebuild their lives" (Alexis Hurd-Shires).
100% of donations will go directly to the Syrian refugee families who are in most dire need of assistance.
Maysa, Syrian refugee in Beirut, Lebanon (age 16)
The following art pieces were created by Maysa and are titled the following (in consecutive order as they appear):
1-Joy Of Innocence (21x13)
2-Endless Love (23x18)
3-Last Cuddle (17x17)
4-Drowning by Overthinking (12x16)
5-Adham Horse(black stallion)(22×16)
6-Give Us Our Childhood (20×15)
7-Looking For Hope (16×18)
8-Sibling Love (17×18)
9-Eda&Serkan (23×16)
10-Women Are Not Objects (22×17)
Maysa attended Adventist Learning Center in 5th and 6th grade. After graduation donors made it possible for Maysa to enter a certified Lebanese school where she is now in the 11th grade. Maysa's dream is to become a doctor and a famous artist. She's already working towards her dream by drawing commissions to help support her family while also taking the scientific track in highschool to prepare her for continuing her education in medicine. Follow her on instagram to see more of her work or make an order: @maysa_wattar .
These art pieces are on a donation basis. The minimum donation for each of Maysa’s pictures is $100. Her family is in dire need of assistance, especially food. Your contributions are so crucial to helping maintain health and providing basic needs during this time of crisis.
- [pictured below: over 20 paintings by college students from all over the United States, including the West Coast, Midwest, and the South and states like Illinois, Maryland, Washington, California, and Tennessee.]
