Tuesday: Sidon, Lebanon (Southern Lebanon)

It was Day 2 in Lebanon. On this day, we boarded the van for a city in southern Lebanon: Sidon (also called Saida). Once at the Southern headquarters, we talked with the leader there about the holistic approach to refugee aid. Heart for Lebanon cannot care for all the refugees, not only because of lacking resources, but also because it would destroy the one-on-one approach and the effort put into getting to know each and every family impacted by this organization. This individualized approach was mirrored in they way they provide education to some of the students.

We met with the principal for the Hope Center School and she discussed how she tries to inspire her students to look towards their own future and strive to reach their goals. The curriculum consisted of Arabic, English, Math, and Art--most in order to enable the students to enter public Lebanese schools once graduating. Here is a great video created by Heart for Lebanon that summarizes their purpose.

After conversing with the principal, we continued downstairs where the men in our group assisted with food distribution and we met with women and prayed with them. The amount of women who either had a family member or friend who had been kidnapped, killed, or just disappeared was just shocking.

Another issue was the cost of medical care. Many of these ladies with whom we talked had moderate to severe medical ailments that are relatively easy to diagnose and get medication here in the US. However, they do not have enough money (perhaps Lebanese doctors take advantage of them because they have no money?), so they suffer from knee problems, migraines, etc.