Family accompaniment (November 2021)
A student-led initiative in collaboration with USJ en Mission:
“I was on the streets of Beirut looking for an available studio apartment. When I found one, the owner could not be present but told me that a man living in the building could welcome me and show me the studio. I was greeted by a respectable man in his forties, who then insisted on inviting me to his home for coffee, an offer I could only accept.
He lived in a 9m^2, a very small room which is a kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom and a living room. All at the same time. I understood that his invitation was a cry for help, a new hope to get out of this crisis that left him alone with two children (6 and 9 years old) in one room.
With five friends, we decided to go to his house to assess the situation. We came away with some brief medium-term goals:
– Hygiene products.
– School supplies for the children.
– Health check-ups for the children.
– Find a decent job for the father.
– Renovate their home by giving them (at least) the privacy of a bathroom.
This father shows great courage and dignity in his desire to succeed for his two children, constantly reminding them that they are the priority, sometimes at the expense of his own well-being. For this, we decided to create a crowdfunding with USJ in Mission to help him, to offer his children and him the possibility to imagine a future and a better daily life.”
Tarek Charaf, USJ student.
The house has been completely renovated. A continuous social follow-up is ensured by our team with the father and his 2 children to know their needs. Medical care, at the request of the father, has also been provided to his children.