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THE LEBANESE YOUTH POST
A Quarterly Newsletter
#16
November 2014
From Collaboration to Social Engagement
Editorial by Lelia El Khazen, President of the Youth
The idiom “It takes two to tango” summarizes perfectly
the work of the Youth in the last couple of months. In
fact, collaboration and partnership are the key words
that have been guiding and driving our involvement
on many fronts.
“Who is Hussain?”, SGBL, “Libami”, the German, the Dutch
and the British Youth of the Order of Malta, are some of
the institutions we partnered with in order to successfully
implement our various activities with the participation of the
Lebanese team.
At first glance, we may think that there is nothing in common
between these institutions, but if you look closely you will
notice that what drive us to come together is sharing a
common mission and supporting the same causes. However
and most importantly, it is about sending out a message
on the importance of unifying forces around social issues
in Lebanon, and promoting social engagement among
Lebanese, in order to ultimately build slowly but surely a
platform for social involvement.
In fact, the vision of the Youth is to develop a community of
youngsters dedicated to serve human dignity and to foster
cultural diversity in Lebanon. This requires NGOs as well as
other institutions and even academia and the private sector
to join forces in order to instill a culture among Lebanese in
which they would be willing to serve their fellow citizens.
Such partnerships help us without doubt broaden and
increase our scope of work but also expose volunteers and
“Guests” to different and new communities, all willing to
spread joy and happiness.
• With “Who is Hussain?”, the Youth took part in an Iftar that
was organized for disfavored families in Beirut, whereby
volunteers from both organizations made sure that parents
and children spent a memorable time during the religious
month of Ramadan.
• With SGBL, employees and high management spent a
full day in Sourat, helping foreign and Lebanese volunteers
during one of the holiday camps for disabled.
• With Libami, the Youth organized a camp at the end of
the summer in Ramliyeh, whereby 20 children got to spend
an amazing weekend full of fun activities.
• And the German, Dutch and British are a major asset as to
why the Chabrouh/ Sourat holiday camps for disabled are
organized in the first place and play a key role in its success.
Going forward, the Youth is looking to team with other
institutions, partner and cooperate to achieve better
results, grow and most importantly help change attitudes
and behaviors towards social engagement and youth
involvement in Lebanon.
“I ask you not what is your color, your language, your race or your religion but tell me what your sufferance is”
SOURAT CAMPS
The Perks of Camp Organization
Why Do You Come Back Every Year?
By Michel Fayad, Team Leader
As a volunteer who’s been taking part in the holiday
camps for disabled for 6 years now, I got used to
answering this question like a salesman. Depending
on who’s asking, I would insist more on one aspect of
the camps in order to convince them to join us, see what
it’s all about and get hooked like I did. The truth is, there’s
nothing I don’t like about it. I couldn’t pinpoint one reason
that brings me back every year.
It’s all a mix of things that I know will happen because I’ve
lived them so many times. The laughs of the “Guests”, the
kind words they say to express that they appreciate being
with us, the surprise hug or kiss they give us sometimes, and
all the heartwarming moments; these are all obvious reasons
why we like going back to camps every year. I could also
go on and say how amazing the activities are and write
about the bonfire and how my favorite part of the day is
the singing session but to me, what takes it over the top are
the anointment of the sick and the different moments of
What’s Cooking in the Kitchen?
By Claire Mulders, Dutch Volunteer
In the past few years I did attend and took part in
many holiday camps for the disabled. This year I was
responsible for the kitchen together with Herman
and Mivida for the Dutch Lebanon camp. We had
so much fun! Some people asked me if being responsible
for the kitchen was different than taking care of a “Guest”.
I think the feeling stays the same. For me there are two key
words: care and attention.
We make sure that the Dutch Lebanon camp is a world
of enjoyment for all our “Guests”. We care about sharing,
about having meals together, about having fun together,
playing games together, dancing together. We care about
leaving negative thoughts behind, about sharing personal
stories. We care about making them feel really themselves.
thinking, praying and meditating.
At every camp, the anointment of the sick ceremony is the
moment that reminds me how important these camps are to
our “Guests”. The ceremony is such a powerful heartwarming
and touching moment, it made me develop a certain sense
of duty that also makes me come back every year. Also,
whether it is during the intense evening prayers when we all
share our daily experience or when I lay in my sleeping bag
at night, I realize that the Holy Spirit is really with us and helps
us get over the physical and mental fatigue to get through
the day. I also notice how little by little the team spirit grows
and some great friendships are formed….friendships that are
also one of the reasons I come back every year.
I wrote about the fun of the camps and about the enriching
spiritual aspect of being committed to such a cause, and
I finally came up with a way to put it all in one sentence:
Without camp, my summer is… boring.
By Saskia Adaimy, Lebanese Volunteer
The camps are always the highlights of my summer.
They offer an experience like no other, a break from
everything, and weeks full of joy, love and hope.
You embark in a journey full of activities, dinners,
and touristic trips with exceptional people from different
nationalities, all reunited for the same cause. Throughout
the camps and summers, I had never realized the amazing
job the Chabrouh-Sourat team did for these camps to
be so unique, until this summer. The camps this year were
especially meaningful to me, because I got to be part of the
team and learn how to offer our “Guests” and volunteers
the best experience possible.
Chabrouh organization starts as a daily routine and ends up
as a real pleasure. I have developed strong organizational
and communication skills, the ability to deal with different
situations, and I ended up doing things I never imagined
being capable of. In the team, we created a beautiful
bond. From daily calls to weekly meetings, we were
constantly together and even organized many outings and
fun gatherings between us. It becomes hard now not to
call the team every day, organize transportation with Nino
during happy hour, going to Sandra’s every day (literally!),
and meeting with Carl for breakfast at Amaretti… I think the
best part of the work is to realize every one of us can make
a big change by simply dedicating a bit of his time to the
project, and create the wonderful camps that the “Guests”
wait for, all year long.
I am very much looking forward to the Christmas holiday
camp for disabled, and to the following camps next year
in Chabrouh!!!
What it Feels Like to Attend the Holiday Camps for Disabled
By Maria Daou, Lebanese Volunteer
The Dutch holiday camp for disabled at Sourat was
my very first camp as a volunteer with the Youth of the
Order of Malta. I have decided earlier this summer to
spend some of my free time to help, and the Sourat
camp was the opportunity to experience something new
and beneficial in many ways, for my friends and me.
First, I couldn’t imagine at that time that I’ll be enjoying
this camp that much. I embraced every moment from the
beginning when we met the other international volunteers
till the moment when we dropped our “Guests” back from
where we picked them up.
In fact, I never imagined myself being able to give a shower
to old people or even change them…But after I have been
given the first nightshift with only two other volunteers and 29
“Guests” to handle, I felt like I could be able to do anything.
The night was very though! Some of the ladies didn’t sleep
well, we had to comfort them in order to get them to sleep.
It was particularly difficult because we didn’t have the time
to get to know them yet. Taking care of them might seem
like a difficult task, but in the moment, I thought that if I
didn’t get to clean them or get them up no one would do
it. I had to take care of them as I would like others to take
care of me if I were disabled, paralyzed or mentally ill and
insecure. We couldn’t get an eye closed all night long, but
I felt like I have accomplished something very hard and the
feeling that our “Guests” needed us that much was what
gave me the energy for the rest of the week.
The other days were pure pleasure. My “Guest” Mona was
quite easy to handle… She could shower get dressed and
go to the toilet all by herself! She even goes to bed very
early and listened to me very carefully. At the beginning,
I couldn’t understand properly what she was saying but I
got used to her. Mona is very girly, she loves make up and
clothes and she always wanted to try on my lipstick! She
also enjoyed the mass and the walks in the garden with her
cigarette! Mona didn’t like to socialize a lot and preferred
to stay with me next to her. However, she loved the other
“Guests” and sometime tried to help them. Besides, the
other volunteers agreed that she had the sweetest smile so I
tried my best to make her smile as often as possible.
On the other hand, the atmosphere was very friendly.
We actually had a lot of fun between us volunteers and
very often with the “Guests” as well! Both the Dutch and
Lebanese teams organized everything very well, and I loved
how the volunteers were always there to help each other.
To conclude, I can say that this experience with the Youth
was very fulfilling. Not only the “Guests” were happy but it
also gave joy to the volunteers. It helped me grow spiritually
and realize the importance of some values such as simplicity
and the love of giving.
Looking forward to see you all soon!
By Yasmina Saradar, Lebanese Volunteer
This was my first camp experience and when looking
back I can only say good things about it.
When I first arrived, I met all the other volunteers, we
had dinner in a very friendly and nice atmosphere, and
immediately we all got along. The next morning, we were
getting ready to receive the “Guests”, and I had no idea
who was going to be assigned to me.
At first of course, I was a bit anxious and thousands of
questions ran through my head. How am I going to handle
the diaper changing/”Guest” cleaning part? But also, what
if my “Guest” doesn’t like me? What if I can’t find what
makes her happy?
Well, luckily for me, Nada was able to walk, she didn’t wear
any diapers, and she knew how to keep herself clean. She
didn’t even want my help to brush her teeth or fold her
clothes! She is a person who likes to do things by herself, but
I noticed that she liked my presence and the fact that I was
by her side when she showered.
However, she gets really mad when she loses things! For
example, when she lost her black trousers, she wouldn’t
get up from her bed, I had to literally beg her on my knees
so she would go down and have breakfast and lunch, she
was grumpy all day. But seeing her enormous smile and her
sparkling eyes when I finally found those black trousers felt
so rewarding!
By Samar Akiki, Lebanese Volunteer
When my friend first told me about the Holiday
Camps for Disabled in Sourat, I was very excited to
join. Then I got nervous; I’ve never been in contact
with a disabled person before nor had I been really involved
in social work. I was always one of those who sat in the
front rows, applauding what others do, quite amazed by
how much one person can do to help. But I saw in this the
opportunity to “be the change that you want to see”. So, I
decided to go.
I was excited, nervous but also very scared. I’m sure
everyone was on his first camp. And I started wondering:
How can I take care of another person? What if it is too
hard? What if I don’t like it? What if I fail?
On our first night in Sourat, the Mass’oula told us, first timers:
“No one fails; I’ve never met anyone who couldn’t do it.”
And probably this was the best thing about the camp: how
everyone is ready to help you, how everyone is ready to
push you.
On my first day, I was picked to go to the homes. And when
I saw all those “Guests”, I was overwhelmed; I didn’t know
what to say, I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know what to
think… some faces were smiling, others were trying to; some
patients were trying to move their hands and shake mine,
others were just lying there clueless. I did put on this weird
smile on my face but I was shaking from the inside and I
wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull it through the camp.
But somehow it all changed, probably it was my “Guest”
who changed me. At a certain point, your “Guest” is no
longer someone with a disability, he is just someone. You
learn to accept him as he is. You learn to appreciate the
little things that he can do. You learn to love him, truly love
him. Spending this much time around him will allow you to
understand him and expect his needs before he even asks;
it’s like a special bond that connects the two of you.
She gets tired easily since she’s overweighed and her feet
start to hurt quickly, so even though she can walk she likes to
rest a lot and she sometimes asked for a wheelchair. What
she liked the most this week is without a doubt the day at
the beach. She was so excited just at the idea of wearing a
bathing suit, and then we went into the sea, with the help
of two jumpers (oh, and by the way Nada loooves boys).
When I had to say goodbye to her, I had no idea it would
be that hard, that I would be so attached to someone I met
only a few days ago…
By Sharon Sasada, British Volunteer
This year was my second year in Lebanon. There is
something truly amazing about the country; it is a
very humbling experience. As a mature helper, I have
been so deeply impressed by the young volunteers. Their
dedication is inspirational and you come away with friends
for life.
Seeing my little happy “Guest” was everything I could ask
for back then. Besides running around, playing with dirt and
collecting magazines, he also loved beach day. He was
running around, feeling the waves, lying on the sand… and it
wasn’t just my “Guest”. I could see all of the “Guests” happy.
The little ones down by the sea, and the older ones just sitting
under their umbrellas enjoying the view. And it felt amazing
to be a part of making someone’s life better.
Every day was different, every day had more fun and more
activities to it. Even having lunch was an activity. Going to
church was an activity. Putting my “Guest” to bed was an
activity. An activity but also a challenge. And it can get
really tiring. But there’s always someone there to help you
through it whether it’s your team leader or a jumper.
Probably my favorite day at the camp was the last day and
particularly the fancy dinner. I started feeling thousands of
emotions at once. And I could just see how every single
“Guest” was happy, whether he could say it or not. There
were smiles all over. And it was so rewarding.
This experience taught me a lot: how to be humble definitely
comes first; how to be patient; how to appreciate the small
details. It also changed me. I started looking at things
differently. I realized that most of what I need is trivialities;
while some others need so little, just attention and affection,
but yet have nothing.
“Life is unfair”, you’d say. “Why do I get to have a body
working perfectly fine, while he is disabled and can’t move
his legs? Why do I get to talk and express how I feel and what
I want while she sits there not able to form a sentence?”,
you’d ask. And I honestly wouldn’t know what to answer.
I could get into genetics and statistics and try to explain it
through numbers and odds, but I won’t be able to convince
you. There’s only one way around this: you have to accept
it and realize that because you have this much, you should
give as much.
The Order of Malta International Holiday Camp
Summer Camp with L i b a m i K i d s a t R a m l i y e h
By Bernard Dahdah, Team Leader
By Sandra Khoury, Lebanese Volunteer
In its 31st year, the Order of Malta International
Holiday Camp was organized in the Netherlands
under the theme of “Friendship in Freedom”.
Delegations (up to 22 volunteers and “Guests”) from the
associations of over 20 countries congregated to spend
a memorable week. Activities ranged from the cultural
(historical sightseeing, safari/zoo etc.) to challenging sports
(indoor skydiving and scuba diving). The core and purpose
of the activities is to allow participants with disabilities to
overcome their challenges and live a week in full freedom.
As is the case with all Order of Malta activities and projects,
hospitalier work is only half the mission. The camps also
have a spiritual side with official masses and private spiritual
moments. In fact, as I was discussing with a staff member,
amongst the amazing activities and events we had, the
highlight for both of us was the procession and adoration.
From a team Lebanon perspective, this is the third
consecutive year that we participate in the International
Holiday Camps. This year and thanks to the unmatchable
efforts of Father Romanos, we introduced talks on the eight
beatitudes and its relationship to the eight points of the cross
of the Order. Also this year, with the help of London and
European based donors, we were able to raise funds to
contribute to this trip and raise awareness about the projects
of the Youth of the Order in Lebanon.
Although the experience is only a week long, it leaves a
deep mark on our “Guests”. Being able to live in freedom
and acceptance regardless of disabilities lifts one’s selfesteem and confidence. This mark makes having the trip
every year and with different “Guests” worthwhile.
Finally, we have been very deeply touched by the hospitality
and attention of the Dutch Association. All through camp
and the months preceding the camp, the Dutch volunteers
and members not only helped us in making this trip possible
but actually made our visit a fantastic one just by being their
bubbly and reliable selves!
Lebanon at the International Camp
By Lea El Najjar. Lebanese Volunteer
“There’s a certain expectation that comes with every
Lebanese Delegation during the International Camp”
those were the words a German friend had told me when
discussing the trip… yet nothing could have quite prepared
me for the exhilarating, humbling and unique experience
that I had the privilege of being part of this past summer.
The previous Lebanese delegation had set the bar high in
Ireland last year, however in my humble and somewhat
biased opinion I do believe we did not disappoint. There
was an unrivaled sense of family within our group where
each one of us, volunteers, “Guest”, our awesome team
leader Bernard and Abouna alike, had synched into one
fun loving unit. The way we all got along was the essential
reason the trip and camp were such a success. We spent
a lot of time together having fun, laughing, singing, making
jokes and dancing. But most importantly we made sure
everyone always knew who we were and where we came
from.
Throughout the camp you get the chance to meet a lot of
people from all around the world, participate in activities
on campus such as paintball and painting, or off-campus
activities such as going to an Amusement Park, the Zoo or
indoor Sky diving. Every night there were themed parties that
lasted till 2 AM, attended by both “Guests” and volunteers.
There was always some sort of band such as the Queens
Cover band. On one of the nights, the Lebanese team took
the stage to showcase our beautiful music to the rest of the
delegations. These shows were normally followed by a DJ to
continue the party.
When it comes to the spiritual aspect of the camp I was
skeptical at first, I thought we’d never really have time to
focus on God or prayer with so much going on. However,
that wasn’t the case. We all owe a large part of that to
Father Romanos whom throughout the camp was a
constant presence guiding us with his love, wisdom and
care. He helped us value the true essence of the work
we were doing while simultaneously bringing us closer to
God and for that we will be forever grateful to him and to
the time we spent at the International Camp 2014 in the
Netherlands.
They say that grown-ups don’t smile as often as children… A
statement that seems to be oh so often true!
Fortunately, that was not the case for eighteen of our
volunteers who spent a straight forty-eight hours smiling and
laughing uncontrollably, seeing the world through children’s
eyes. Our volunteers drove up the Chouf mountains (in
Ramliyeh Village) on the weekend of August 28-30 to spread
a few smiles on the faces of twenty children, whose lives
have not been as fortunate as ours.
The camp started on Friday afternoon with preparations for
the kids’ arrival and the division of tasks across volunteers.
When the bus arrived on Saturday, we greeted the kids with
some singing and face painting. Children and volunteers
were then split into teams that competed against each
other during the whole weekend in a friendly and amusing
atmosphere. This was followed by a series of really enjoyable
games: hiking, tyrolienne and team bonding activities. But
the highlight and big surprise of the camp was a large
water fight. The water guns and water balloons amused the
volunteers as much as the kids. The first day ended with hot
chocolate, marshmallows and Dabke dancing around a
beautiful campfire. We woke up early on Sunday with a bit
of outdoor exercising followed by a big treasure hunt. During
the whole weekend, our dear Aicha, a talented local cook,
lovingly prepared delicious meals.
The camp ended with a goodbye ceremony during which
the winning team received a trophy. Kids were also handed
gifts along with titles such as “The Little Miss Princess of the
Weekend’’ or “The Most Courageous Kid of the Camp’’.
Finally, volunteers and children said their goodbyes: wet
eyes, smiling faces, hugs, kisses, phone numbers exchanged,
advices given… A memorable weekend just ended!
Order of Malta and “Who is Hussain” Joint Iftar:
Promoting Kindness and Empathy
By Nour Harb, Volunteer with “Who is Hussain?”
With the cooperation of the Youth of the Order of Malta,
“Who is Hussain”, a campaign recently launched in
Lebanon, hosted its first annual Iftar for the less fortunate in
Mousaitbeh, Beirut on July 23rd . The volunteers from both
organizations did a wonderful job in decorating the place
with balloons and colorful paper decorations. About 150
orphans and distressed people were welcomed by the
volunteers with activities for children such as coloring, and
face painting. A delicious Iftar was served with drinks and
desserts followed as the hall was filled with socialization and
laughter. The volunteers showed a great spirit of cooperation
and kindness as they helped keep order, serve “Guests” and
entertain the young. Such joint events prove that humanity is
not limited by color, race, or religion, and it is at its greatest
forms when these limits disappear.
Les Personnes Agées à Rayfoun
By Yousra Matta, Volontaire Libanaise
C’est toujours dans les yeux qu’on voit si les gens sont tristes
ou heureux…on ne peut pas maquiller le regard. C’est
ce que j ai vu l’autre samedi à Rayfoun lors de la sortie
organisée par les Jeunes de l’Ordre de Malte. Ils étaient
nombreux, des vieux et moins vieux: une “middle age“
s’appuyant sur son frère qui lui avait déjà sa canne, des
sœurs qui s’entraidaient pour trouver de bonnes places à
table, une jeune vieille qui chantait un Zajal, et l’autre qui
dansait!
‫افطار‬
Point commun: ils étaient tous heureux... Un grand Merci
à ces jeunes volontaires qui ont sacrifié leur samedi afin
d’organiser cette sortie, faire briller des yeux et transformer
des larmes en sourire.
Merci d’avoir donné un peu d’affection à des personnes qui
en ont grand besoin. Merci aux Jeunes d’avoir pensé à moi.
Encore un grand grand Merci à Fadi Sfeir et ses parents pour
l’accueil chaleureux.
Je ne te Demande ni ta Race, ni ta Couleur, ni ta Religion
Mais Dis Moi Quelle Est ta Souffrance…
By Nour Moghabghab, Team Leader
« Je te te demande ni ta race, ni ta couleur, ni ta religion
mais dis moi quelle est ta souffrance ». C’est sous cette
devise que les jeunes de l’Ordre de Malte ont décidé de
prêter main forte à une organisation non gouvernementale
connue sous le nom de « Who is Hussain ? » dans le cadre
d’un repas dinatoire consacré aux habitants défavorisés
de Mousaitbeh situé en banlieue beyrouthine et plus
précisément dans la mosquée du quartier, un mercredi de
Juillet.
Comme chaque année, le Ramadan constitue l’événement
le plus marquant du calendrier religieux musulman. Durant
cette fête, le jeûne est destiné à être un acte relatant la foi
en Dieu. Afin de rompre avec le jeûne en fin de journée et
au moment du coucher du soleil, « Who is Hussain ? », ayant
pour mission de venir en aide aux personnes défavorisées,
s’est résolue de préparer un Iftar et de convier tout le
quartier.
Réunissant leurs jeunes volontaires et leurs moyens, et
se serrant les coudes avec nous, Jeunes de l’Ordre de
Malte, nous nous engagions dans des préparatifs tels
que le dressage des tables, la décoration des lieux, la
préparation des jeux pour les enfants et bien d’autres
tâches divertissantes.
Nous peaufinions les dernières retouches avant l’arrivée des
invitées.
Vers 19h30, la salle était remplie d’enfants et d’adultes
de tout âge. Des mets traditionnels et copieux au menu,
de la bonne humeur, entremêlés de remerciements et
d’admiration face à cette initiative commune de « Who is
Hussain ? » et des Jeunes de l’Ordre de Malte.
From the Cedars to Baakafra: Where Spirituality and Friendship Meet
Une activité pas comme les autres, dans un pays où les
races, les couleurs et les religions sont confondues: un
exemple même de tolérance, de partage, de respect et
d’accoutumance que les jeunes de l’Ordre de Malte ont
su faire valoir.
Volunteering with the Youth is about helping others,
spreading joy and sharing memorable moments with the
“Guests”. However, there are two other aspects that make
the Youth unique: friendship and spirituality.
By Line Tabet, Team Leader
And what a better way to combine those two than a
trip to the North of Lebanon, whereby Père Khalil Rahmé,
Père Antoine Assaf and Père Guy Sarkis joined more than
20 volunteers in a walk from the Cedars to Baakafra, the
hometown of Saint Charbel.
A visit of the village and of the grotto where Saint Charbel
used to pray, a mass next to the House of Saint Charbel and
a lunch on top of Wadi Qannoubine summarize perfectly
this beautiful day.
But what makes it unique, is getting to spend it with people
whose friendship was forged over the years in a spiritual
environment that help put all our efforts into perspective
and give us strength and will to continue in our endeavors.
And that… is the spirit of the Youth!
Le Grand Maitre de l’Ordre Souverain de Malte en visite au Liban
Les Jeunes de l’Ordre de Malte ont eu la chance
et l’honneur de participer aux séries d’événements
qui se sont déroulés au Liban durant la dernière
semaine d’Octobre et qui a vu la profession solennelle
de Fra’ Jean-Louis Mainguy, premier Chevalier de Justice
en Terre Sainte depuis que l’Ordre a quitté Jerusalem, en
présence du Grand Maitre, du Grand Commandeur, des
Hautes Charges, de plusieurs présidents d’associations et
Fra’ de l’Ordre Souverain de Malte.
La participation des Jeunes lors de cette semaine fut
très active. Tout d’abord, le Mercredi 29 Octobre, ils ont
servi la messe célébrée par le Cardinal Sarah en l’Eglise
Saint Joseph des Pères Jésuites, rue Monot, pour les vœux
solennels de Fra’ Jean-Louis Mainguy.
La SGBL se joint au camp de vacances des Jeunes de l’Ordre de Malte
pour les personnes handicapées
Une équipe de la SGBL a rejoint les volontaires des Jeunes de
l’Ordre de Malte au Liban pour une journée organisée dans
le camp de vacances de Sourat, Batroun. Les volontaires
du camp de différentes nationalités libanaise, allemande,
française, anglaise, hollandaise et autrichienne entre autres,
ont pour mission de semer la joie, l’amour et le bonheur aux
individus souffrant d’un handicap physique et/ou mental,
les «Invités», venant de maisons spécialisées et d’hôpitaux
psychiatriques du Liban. Tout au long d’une quinzaine de
camps par an, d’une semaine chacun, 200 volontaires
offrent des vacances à plus de 400 «Invités» défavorisés.
Encadrés par 28 volontaires, 26 invités participaient à ce
camp, tous souffrant d’handicaps lourds. Ces derniers
reçoivent une attention particulière et personnalisée dans un
environnement naturel. L’équipe SGBL a ainsi eu la chance
de participer à une journée animée et dynamique, pleine
de milliers de sourires gravés dans le cœur et la mémoire
des «Invités» et des employés de la banque. A travers cette
initiative, la SGBL, partenaire de l’Ordre de Malte, a souhaité
apporter son soutien aux personnes atteintes de handicap,
confirmant ainsi son engagement auprès des personnes
défavorisées, reconnaissant leur rôle au sein de la société.
Au cours du repas partagé avec les «Invités», Mlle Noha
Abou Saad, directeur Stratégie et Marketing de la SGBL,
a affirmé : « La mission de l’Ordre de Malte qui tient à offrir
du Bonheur à des personnes « oubliées de la vie » nous
tient particulièrement à cœur. Nous ne pouvons qu’être
admiratifs face à l’implication et au dévouement de ces
jeunes dans le partage avec les autres. En tant que banque
engagée, nous souhaitons contribuer de notre mieux au
progrès social, sensibiliser à la cause des exclus de notre
société et encourager la tolérance et l’acceptation de
l’autre. »
Le Jeudi 30 Octobre, un très beau concert de chants
liturgiques a été donné dans la même Eglise par le chœur
d’hommes «Cappella Musicale Liberiana» de la Basilica
Papale de Santa Maria Maggiore, spécialement venus de
Rome.
Le plus important reste la visite de la délégation
internationale de l’Ordre de Malte à l’hôpital des Sœurs
de la Croix durant laquelle un échange a eu lieu avec les
Jeunes et les Caravan afin de discuter de leur engagement
au Liban. Une autre visite a eu lieu sur le chantier du Centre
de Chabrouh qui va ré-ouvrir ses portes en 2015 afin
d’accueillir à nouveaux les camps de vacances pour le plus
grand bonheur des Volontaires et de leurs« Invités» souffrant
de plusieurs handicaps.
T he C ara v an P roject
The Youth of the Sovereign Order of Malta (The Youth) is an
offshoot of the Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta,
which was founded in 2006 by a small group of young and
dedicated volunteers.
The Order of Malta Caravan Project encourages young
adults from various nationalities to spend time in Lebanon
with mentally and physically disabled people for a period of
six months. Here is what the Caravanistas have to say about
their experience in Lebanon:
Our Vision is to develop a Youth Community dedicated
to serve human dignity and to foster cultural diversity in
Lebanon
Ou r Fi rst E xpe r ience in Lebanon
By Laura Welhing & Clémence Noirot-Cosson, Caravanes
The Youth organizes every year its holiday camps for
the disabled, for boys and girls of different homes
from Lebanon. The team consists of around 30 to 40
volunteers including different roles. We had the opportunity
of being part of the second (German) camp that started
on September 18, 2014 and discovered an amazing human
experience.
The Mass’oul is responsible of the organization of the
daily tasks and takes care of the communication with the
responsible Sisters in the homes. Each volunteer takes care
personally of one “Guest” for five days. The main goal of
this week is for them to have real vacation. The duty of
the volunteer is to give as much happiness and love as he
can to the “Guests”. Every daily activity is organized by
the volunteers, such as Olympic Games, singing sessions,
beauty/shaving session and also special activities as a
beach trip and a fancy dinner. The joy and the love present
in these weeks are not only one-way, from the volunteers to
the “Guests”… the volunteers also receive a lot from them.
ABOUT THE YOUTH
The relationship built between the “Guest” and his volunteer
is something important for both of them. Moreover, this
experience offers the volunteers the opportunity to meet an
international team and to create strong bonds. All of us can
count on the Lebanese volunteers, who are always ready
to help to translate and to teach us some Lebanese words,
like “Baddak Mai?” or “Baddik Hammam?” and “Khallas
Habibi”. All these moments with the disabled people and
helped us mature and allowed us share this experience with
our families and friends.
Our Mission is to create a platform for young volunteers to
work hand in hand to raise hope and serve the forgotten
people of Lebanon. We do so:
• by restoring the dignity to the physically and mentally
challenged people through one-on-one care, love and
lasting relationship
• by enhancing the well-being of abandoned senior citizens
and underprivileged children around the socio-medical
centers of the Order of Malta in Lebanon.
In addition to that, we had the chance to welcome
a TV-Team from Germany, which is going to make a
documentary about the holiday camps for the disabled and
help spread this unique experience as much as possible. It
will be translated in Arabic, French, English and Spanish.
THE YOU IN THE YOUTH
The continuous growth of the Youth in terms of activities,
number of volunteers as well as Guests and persons in
need could not have been achieved without the devotion
of our volunteers as well as the generous support of our
benefactors and sponsors.
How You can support the Youth?
B y v olunteer i ng :
Without You, the Youth wouldn’t be existing!
If you are a student, young working professional wishing to
give us some of your time, please send us an information
request by clicking here or send us an e-mail to jeunes@
ordredemalteliban.org
B y sponsor i ng our act i v i t i es :
For those wishing to sponsor our activities, please send us an
email to [email protected]
C hr i stmas w i th the Y outh
With the holidays around the corner, join the Youth in spreading joy and happiness
among children, elderly and disabled by taking part in our activities spread
throughout the months of December and January. We look forward to seeing you
with us:
D
e
13
ce
6
m
Gift
b
Collection
Deir El Salib
Christmas
Visit
e
r
1
4
14
20
Christmas
Mass & Selling
21
r
2
0
Baking the
Christmas
Cookies
b
e
of Christmas
Treats
D
e
c
e
m
17
D
e
25
c
Christmas in
Deir El Kamar
e
m
22
30
to
Holiday
b
Camps for the
e
Disabled
r
2
0
14
3
Christmas
with
the Elderly
2
J
a
n
u
a
r
0
1
5
9
to
11
y
Christmas
Children
Camp
Thank you to our exclusive sponsor for the fundraising event
“The Lebanese Youth Post” is designed by Mira Kaissi and photos are by Sandra Fayad and Lamya Moghabghab
This issue is printed by Aleph Printing Press
For further information, contact: Centre de l’Association Libanaise des Chevaliers de Malte, Aïn el-Remmaneh, Liban
[email protected]
www.ordredemaltaliban.org