When Elissa Mazloum, a seventeen year old Lebanese student that descends from Baalbeck, set her mind out on her initiative, she had no clue to the rolling snowball effect it will create. Elissa, a high school senior was recently recruited to the “EDUCATION AND LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES AND LEBANESE ADOLESCENT” as part of the peace building youth clubs. Elissa admits she was initially attracted to the project by curiosity, but upon further involvement she explains that she now carries a cause. Elissa says, “My dream is to become a pediatrician, my goal in life is to end suffering of children and this project has opened up a firsthand opportunity to deal with unprivileged children in distress”. She furthermore adds, “I have been touched by the eagerness of these Syrian youth to learn as they consider it their only way out of their misery, we are lucky to have a lot and that makes it our responsibility to help the ones without much. It is not a matter of who wants what; it is that of who needs it most”. Elissa and friends devised a plan where they took money they received as incentives and put it back to their Syrian counterparts in the form of gifts.
Another specimen of the pioneering aid work is Aya Slayman, an eighteen year old Lebanese college freshman from Bednayel. Aya at this tender age labels herself as a social activist who aspires for a better society. Aya went to an initiative of gathering decent clothing unused by their owners and handing these clothes to her Syrian counterparts. This initiative was latterly replicated by many of her peers. Aya explained,” this is the least that we can do, this our duty as humans”. She explained “I have been touched by how unfortunate are these kids, life can be really unfair but that only increases our responsibility toward these less fortunate”. Aya promised she would not hold at this, she emphasizes how she is planning a couple of other activities to reach out to more.
Aya and Elissa are not a one off case; youth are the answer as they offer tolerance, understanding and innovation. We just have to trust them.
