July 2016: Taking Account of the Crisis
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We surveyed and identified seven camps in South Lebanon that are “aid deserts,” places by-passed by major international relief agencies. Families including children (one half of the residents are children) have nothing to do but wait for hand-outs delivered by the Lebanese Red Cross.
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October 2016: Contemplation of Road Map Ahead
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The survey had made it clear that there was a massive need, it had yet to be worked on what will be the best approach to help. We had exploratory meetings with community leaders and the Lebanese Red Cross, that gave us some ideas to look at.
There were further arrangements to be done. Everything was put on paper to see what would it take to make things come alive. Step by step all arrangements took place and we collected gifts to distribute in the seven refugee camps that were and still are aid deserts. The hopelessness in these camps was highest as the feeling of "no help is coming for us" was seeping in them and they were sinking in the same. |
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March 2017: Trauma Healing and Spreading Smiles
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We connected with and felt the trauma that Syrian refugees in camps in South of Lebanon were going through.
It was not just financial issues that they were facing. They had been through tremendous amount of disturbances and shocks. Seeing the amount of trauma that these civil war survivors had been through, our Director of Operations, Khaled Jurdi, spent time in the camps with adult men and women helping them develop new perspectives and skills to work through the suffered they endured prior to arrival and each day living in the camp away from their homes. |
Spreading smiles: In an effort to give some comfort and bring some smiles the community of Syrian Refugees in six camps received school supplies, winter clothing, and gifts with love from American Friends funded by our Chairman, Dr Willard White. Prior to our departure from Lebanon, we met with the Lebanese Red Cross, Disaster Management Unit, at their head office in Beirut and came away with testing a pilot program that will help refugees become more self sufficient through job skills training.
January 2018: Enrolling Refugees in First Vocational Program – Be the Change I
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Efforts were made to inform the refugees about the vocational training programs in the six camps with 350 families residing. We wanted their opinion on what skills they want to learn. Hence, we visited each of the six camps and through voting they expressed interest in three different skills: sewing, barbering, and hair-styling.
The community was hungry for such an initiative and 76 refugees registered for the program to be delivered in May/June 2018. |
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June 2018: Intensive Vocational Skills Pilot Program Launched
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We purchased two tents and placed them in two of the six camps centrally located. We purchased four sewing machines and stored them in one of the tents locked and secured, managed by the Red Cross. The second tent was used for barbering workshop.
Stage 1 - Two day intensive leadership training for leaders representing six refugee communities. In addition to 11 Red Cross workers getting trained to become future coaches. |
Stage 2- Three weeks intensive job skills training program launched.
- 11 red cross workers were trained in coaching skills for scalability.
- 4 trainers teaching the three crafts
- 76 Syrian refugees were trained in job skills between sewing and cloth making, barbering, and hair-styling.
October 2018: Be the Change II Enrollment and Preparation for December 2018 Initiative
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December 2018: Be the Change II - 3 Weeks Program
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