The Youth News

Funny Meals was an activity that immediately caught my attention as it was made in an effort to cheer up children in these difficult times. It was an overall highly organized and fun activity where we as volunteers got to prepare and decorate tasty meals consisting of hotdogs, brownies, and rice crispy treats. With the necessary precautions taken, we were then able to deliver these meals and personally spend time with the children of AFEL Lebanon.

This was the part of the activity that touched me the most, as the children were able to bring a smile to all faces with their optimism and positive energy. Volunteering has truly changed the way I view life around me, and proves that a simple gesture can have great meaning. Experiences like these are incredibly memorable and eye opening, which is why I highly encourage anyone reading this to volunteer and join the youth.

Sarah Bedran, Lebanese volunteer

Serving people in need since 1957, the Order of Malta Lebanon has been quick in responding to the crisis in Beirut. In the first weeks following the blast, the Order of Malta urgently provided healthcare support with first aid response, mobile medical units, assessing damage to local healthcare centers, and helping support the fight against the pandemic. Its dedicated volunteer-based youth group, the Youth of the Order of Malta has been working around the clock in relief operations.

In the wake of the explosion, around 200 youth volunteers worked to assess the damage, clean up rubble, restore livelihoods, provide food assistance, offer shelter at the Chabrouh hosting center, and provide psychological support to those who need it. Currently, they are invested in restoring and refurbishing 100 houses in Geitaoui from scratch. Their mission is to give residents back a place they can call home, they told The961. To help them continue their emergency aid efforts in devastated Beirut, you can donate here.

Article posted on the961.com on September 8th, 2020 written by Souad Lazkani

Ever since August 4th, this feeling of sticking together as a community and having each other’s backs has grown deeper and deeper in each of our hearts… While on the ground, one of the first things we realized was the crucial need of sanitary products and supplies for newly born babies. In such times of crisis and economic failure, many families have found difficulties in gathering the necessities for their infants. Therefore, we tried to assist them as much as we possibly can.

After making a call for donations, to which the response was very quick and overwhelmingly generous, we were able to satisfy the need of over 50 families in Karantina by gathering milk, diapers, wet wipes, pacifiers, baby bottles and even some clothes…

It feels nice to know that we are able to contribute to the happiness of those parents. Being able to serve these families was very humbling and seeing the smile on their faces was very rewarding!

Rachel Saade, Lebanese volunteer

Their words were several and their hearts were thankful, their eyes tearing. As each broken individual received a box of what they needed the most, we heard them say: “God bless you…”, “You bring hope…”. They had no homes, nowhere to stay, suffering more than anyone could imagine. They came from the alleys and streets; some came using vehicles while others took many steps. They all knew that what they hoped for would be there. It was no typical entity calling for them to come, but the Youth of the Order of Malta that wanted to lend a hand to those who they knew suffered from all that had happened: the blast, the economic crisis, and all that comes with it as well.

They told us they were helpless, but we told them not to worry. They needed a drink, we gave them a pack. They needed a bite, we gave them meals. They were too tired and weak to lift what had been given to them, we did it for them and took the items straight to their homes. We started with one and ended up giving hundreds. There is no other way to say it, but it is true; darker days have come but it is only during such times that we can prove to God what we are made of. We should stay faithful and be the hope to those in despair.

Special thanks to Boxes 4 Beirut and “Société des membres de la Légion d’honneur – Liban” for their generous donations.

Chris Ain Malak, Lebanese volunteer

The volunteer’s mental health and well-being is equally as important as the help they provide!

The Youth team leaders and volunteers attended a training lecture with Dr. Peter Kaiser, mental health expert for victims of torture and war, who was specially commissioned by Malteser International in Germany to assess the needs and respond to the current Lebanese crisis. The focus of the lecture was on the management of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) when recovering from an explosion, addressing two parts:

– First and foremost the mental health and well-being of the volunteers, allowing them to share their coping skills after this tragedy, learning how to channel their emotions.

– Second, the different ways to address and help survivors to take preliminary steps to emotional recovery during their field interventions in the devastated areas.

Life has its ways.
It throws signals for us to catch and embrace.
When I booked my seat, little did I know that every piece of me would scream ”home”.
That miserable day and its bloody hours.
I made it slightly late, but I did, and all I could think of was helping, giving everything I have, which is not much…
A sign was thrown my way and I gladly caught it.
Leading in a time of despair.
Chabrouh.
A place I’ve been calling home for almost ten years now.
The planning, the questions, the lost answers; my stress-relief experience.
The smiles people showed, showered my saddened soul.
Between the prayers, the activities and the location, hope and happiness swallowed the ugly darkness of our tragedy.
With broken hearts, volunteers turned a simple experience into a two weeks’ lifestyle, day to day, way of living.
Kids, parents, and elderly, broke out their heavy silence, imagining a life brand new, in a place where Heaven meets Earth, and Joy conquers Fear.
My unique step into a world of being one strictly/friendly/authentic ”mas’oulé“.
Chabrouh, where Faith blooms and Love never ends.

Nai Bassil, Lebanese volunteer (Camp Leader Chabrouh Shelter Wave 2)

The tragic explosion of the Beirut port left the families of our beloved city both devastated and in distress, many of whom lost their homes, loved ones, friends, and last glimpse of joy to blast. In the midst of a global pandemic and an uprising national economic crisis that brought end to the incomes of many households all over Lebanon, I believe the families of Beirut had lost all hope in surviving the aftermath of the explosion. That being said, the Order of Malta in Lebanon and its Youth were quick to take action. Many projects such as a food relief and refurbishment campaign in the Geitaoui area were put in place to serve the streets of Beirut or what’s left of them for that matter.

In the middle of all the chaos, an idea came to mind: the Chabrouh Shelter project. The project’s aim was to provide the affected families with a “house of love and mental relaxation to all”. With the idea of mental health being completely neglected in Lebanon since the blast, we took it upon us to provide a retreat for those not only physically but also mentally affected by the blast. As team leader for this shelter, I have to admit it was challenging to bring all the pieces together as it was an entirely different concept from the camps we usually host at Chabrouh for the differently-abled of Lebanon. However, the way I see it, the blast only made us stronger.

We came up with a brilliant plan to provide the families of Beirut with a comforting escape from the miseries of the capital. Nonetheless, this plan wasn’t fully optimized until we finally met the families we were going to spent the next week or two with. When we met the first family, a kind of special bond was formed between them and the volunteers which, in its turn, created a big family gathered around by laughter, care, and joy. We shared many moments and stories that got us closer during our stay at Chabrouh. Various spiritual activities were planned such as a trip to Saint Charbel where families rediscovered their faith that allowed them to survive the blast.

A typical day at the Chabrouh Shelter would start with what we call some “Laughter Yoga” to release all the stress and tension built up minds and bodies followed by good food and activities such as painting or going for a hike to the dam. We even had a water fight at one point which even the adults enjoyed. We would end each long active day with our Chabrouh tradition “Almaza Time” where we would unwind, have a beer with the families and share stories and jokes accompanied by laughter unlike any ever heard before. I wish I could put what was talked about in words, but as one family member said: “Almaza time shall remain a Chabrouh secret”.

As team leader, I think what makes me the proudest is hearing the tone of the families as well as their face expressions before and after their stay. The tone went from sad and empty to fulfilled and energetic. In my opinion, the team managed to embrace the families, and give them a sense of safety and warmth they lacked in the capital. I am grateful for every single person that made the Chabrouh Shelter such as a big success for the families, and I hope we can move forward in the Order’s mission, and keep on helping the less fortunate.

Antony Al Dada, Lebanese volunteer (Camp Leader Chabrouh Shelter Wave 1)

Following Beirut’s blast, the Chabrouh center opened its doors to welcome families in need of accommodation and support. We were so happy to spread the word on social media through the “No Garlic No Onions” page. Anthony Rahayel (founder of the page) passed by the center and went live on his YouTube channel and Instagram page sharing the beauty and amazing place that Chabrouh is. The Youth were happy to participate in the video sharing their experiences during summer camps and explaining how the camps are usually organized. Special thanks to Anthony for his time!

What only took several seconds on August 4th, destroyed what families had built up over decades, some families even over centuries. People lost their homes, possessions, memories, family members and friends. They were left with ruins, despair and hopelessness. Everyday needs such as food and hygienic products whose prices already skyrocketed with the inflation, became unaffordable. The food relief program of the Youth of the Order of Malta addressed exactly those needs roaming from Karantina, to Burj Hammoud, Nabaa and Geitaoui.

In the first two weeks after the explosion, the Youth distributed ready-made food, water and sanitary products on a daily basis. The rush of people to the stand was beyond what was anticipated and showed the need of the people that happily took everything they received with gratefulness. We would like to thank all the people that contributed with their in-kind and financial donations, logistics and on-site support and we are looking forward to all future cooperation. We will run our targeted support program with food boxes and sanitary kits as long as the need is there! – Big thank you-

Joy Saade and Felicitas von Campenhausen, Lebanese and German volunteers

If you ask me what happened on the fourth of August, I would definitely tell you: “It’s the day my life stopped, the day my country burned down to ashes.” It was just another normal summer day in Lebanon. People were surviving as usual, when suddenly, their whole lives turned around. At exactly 6:07pm, our beloved capital was shaken by a terrible explosion at the port. It was precisely 6:07pm when chaos took over the city. People panicked, blood covered the streets, children screamed, parents were terrified, homes were demolished, and the city of Beirut went down to shambles in just a few seconds. Our hearts were crushed and we were very upset.

Sitting at home, watching the news, while seeing the misery of the people and the massive amounts of destruction was not an option. We didn’t know what to do but we knew that we had to do something. Hence, a very spontaneous initiative got into action. It started with a small group of people who carried their brooms, dustpans, cloth bags and started roaming around in the streets of Gemmayze and Mar Mikhayel helping out as many people as possible. From cleaning broken glass to carrying shattered furniture, the streets were clean in just a few days, and it was time for us to go further, to help further, and to make a bigger difference. That was when our spontaneous initiative changed into a very advanced and professional “Disaster Relief Program”.

Within just a few hours, a whole new relief plan got into action. Our small group of volunteers started to get bigger by the day, walking around the broken streets of Geitaoui to start with the first step of our process: conducting the assessment. One week later, we had a database that included 135 families that needed our help on either a social, psychological, or damage-repair levels. Obviously, every aspect was consequently targeted in an extensive way. For some families, food boxes were distributed; for others, drinking a cup of coffee with the family members was enough. For some, hearing them out brightened their day, and for others, asking them how they were doing restored hope.

A few days later, another group of volunteers spread around the area and distributed white roses for the victims of the blast. Even if it was just a small act of kindness, this white rose served as a symbol of peace, hope, and courage; it was a little reminder that there is a light at the end of tunnel, no matter how long and dark it is. In parallel to that, out of these 135 houses, 70 of them need refurbishment and so we are proceeding with a more advanced evaluation to assess the degree of the damage, with the help of experts and contractors. Our strategy includes assessment, evaluation, estimation, and finally, refurbishment and renovation.

We are currently in the third step of our process and with the help of the Lebanese Association of the Order of Malta we are aiming on fixing windows and doors for as many houses as possible. People lost their sense of security in the place they thought was the safest: their homes. So even if it’s a single window, or even if it’s just one door, giving these people their safe place back is our target, and giving them back their smiles is our goal.

Actually, now that I think about it, August 4th was not when my life stopped, it was when it started again, it was when my hope in this country and its youth grew, it was when I understood that making a difference comes from the tiniest things, and it was when I contributed in helping my country and its people rise from the ashes.

Nayla Moukarzel, Lebanese volunteer