In the scope of following up and coordination between the Lebanese Organization for Studies and (LOST) and UNICEF, in the Youth project which is being implemented across LOST’s ten active branches in Baalbeck-Hermel governorate, delegations from worldwide INGOs and donors have paid multiple visits to these locations including LOST centers and Informal Settlements (IS) to get a clearer perspective and closer relationship with the targeted beneficiaries.
Among these visits, the most recent was that of the Canadian Natcom and UNICEF representatives, on Thursday November 10th 2016, to Beqaa Howsh Rafiqa 007 IS. Canadian journalist, Corbett Hancey on behalf of Canadian Natcom, and Hiba Shaaban on behalf of UNICEF, headed along with LOST staff to the camp where they spent an hour with Syrian refugees getting more familiar with their lifestyles, listening to their stories, and passing on their daily hardships and their successful struggle in coping with the whole world. The team altogether toured around the camp where they recorded every important detail; they took pictures of children and adults as well, and then attended a Life Skills training class in one of the IS tents delivered by LOST staff.
Mr. Corbett asked for a volunteer to be interviewed, and right away, a young and bright Syrian beneficiary stepped forward. Loai, a 21-year-old Syrian beneficiary from Deir El Zour, opened up about his personal life and family struggle in passing by every day at a time. While well aware of all his problems, he stuck a determined figure; he cheerfully expressed his ambitions and future expectations which he had put aside since the beginning of the crisis, but brought them back to focus after attending the training classes delivered by UNICEF and LOST.
Reviving the desire of living in people and building up their characters, and hence facilitating their lives, is the ultimate goal which UNICEF and LOST aspire to and work on thoroughly to achieve. Through the fund support of committees such the Canadian one, and through UNICEF, such a goal is definitely going to be eventually reached.
