The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) in partnership with UNICEF through the generous support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the government of Germany held a celebratory ceremony, honoring the “Messages through Arts” participants and showcasing their talents. In the presence of UNICEF’s representative in Lebanon, Mrs. Tanya Chapuisat, more than 30 youths who participated in the six-month project performed on stage to more than 360 attendees at Tammouz hall in Baalbeck on August 18th, 2018.
Dr. Ramy Lakkis, founder of LOST, emphasized that “the aim of the project is not only to paint, sing, and play, but rather to discover talent in theater, music, singing, and drawing, to give courage to talented youth to move forward with their aspirations and dreams, and to become the leaders of tomorrow advocating for positive social change”. Dr. Lakkis further added that “LOST is trying to spread the culture of arts because of its positive impact on the individual and society and as a powerful tool to address local issues and come up with timely and responsive solutions”. These talents will then undoubtedly become a job opportunity and a chance to invest.
Mrs. Tanya Chapuisat further added, “UNICEF has always supported sports activities for development, and we hope that the interest in arts will also increase and be utilized for development ”. Mrs. Chapuisat stated, “I also believe in the role of arts in bringing about social change”.
Fatima Saleh, 19 years of age, Syrian refugee, was among the several participants who joined the MAT program. Fatima excitedly stated, “day after day, my skills started improving, and I was given the opportunity to send my message out to a large audience through my drawings, and I feel like I can now make a difference through my art”. Fatima, among many others were able to deliver their own unique messages, in an effort to create constructive change in society.
The event was densely covered by national media; New TV, for instance, showed it on the 8:00 pm news.
LOST thanks UNICEF, the government of Germany, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands for the support.
