The first quarter of 2005 was much affected on the political level and this had significant repercussions on the school : strikes, demonstrations, blocked streets, explosions. This not only destabilises the country but also the children who were unable to attend school regularly. Our kids need in general stability and discipline to concentrate their energy in a sustained learning effort. These last few months, though they are bearers of hope in the political sphere, were difficult to manage at the school.
Yet were were still able to do two outings : one at the snow and the other on the Logos, the OM boat, which remained two weeks in the Beirut port. This was a good introduction to the story of Noah which was our foundational spiritual story during this quarter.
We are already beginning to think about the organisation of our year-end camp. We chose the story of Daniel and hope to deal with themes such as choice, trust and perseverance.
Similarly to our last update, we would like to introduce you to a class, that of our 3rd year. This class has 8 children that you see on the picture. You can see behind the “window” the house of the neighbour.

Maher : His three brothers and sisters are also studying in our programme. This is only one-fourth of the family which has 17 children! The father has two wives. It is no surprise that these four children are completely left to themselves and very disturbed. Maher, who is our oldest pupil and the tallest as well, is a very nice and helpful boy, but who suffers from serious dyslexia which hinders him terribly in learning, especially in reading.
Soad : She is Maher’s cousin, she is 12 and is often beaten by her parents who don’t know how to handle an adolescent who asks questions and who does not especially like being the “maid” for her brothers. Soad cannot go outside her home, for her parents are afraid she will get into trouble. She must be accompanied by her cousins who watch her constantly.
Hassan : This child has great potential but his family situation hinders him from giving the best of himself at school. His father died, leaving him an orphan and he lives with an uncle or aunt each time his mother shares her life with a new husband. Hassan is a very sensitive child and very angry . This spoils his relationships with others as well as his schoolwork.
As for Ghazi, he is a boy with manual gifts and who also does well in school. The 9th child of 11, he quickly will use his fists if he is provoked.
Ali is the heaviest boy of the class. He has major problems with food and with his identity. His father works in recovery and recycling by foraging in the neighbourhood garbage cans. So Ali imagines a different life and lies profusely, which brings him significant problems with his friends and with his teachers !
Safa H. is a lively girl who is not always easy to manage in class (all of these children are between 11 and 13 and enter into adolescence with many questions, physical changes and difficult family situations). Sofa has very good grades and studys very seriously. She came into our programme after she had been out of school for two years. The financial situation of the family having deteriorated at that time, the three children of school age had to stop their studies in mid-year. The two oldest ones (14 and 15) have been working for two years and Safa came into our programme two and one half years ago.
Safa M. is the youngest of the class at age 11. Very independant, she also has a very strong personality and studies very well. She cares for the cleaning of the home and cares for her younger brothers and sisters at home while her mother cleans and her father works.
Yusra understands quickly but has too little time to work at home ! She also has to care for housecleaning and to serve her four brothers. Her father also works in garbage recycling and her mother cleans stairwells in apartment buildings. Yusra’s hands are in bad condition from her household chores and her aggressiveness in class is an expression of her being fed up with being treated like a servant.

 

Since January, a young Libano-English woman, trained as a teacher, volunteers her time to give an English club and reading lessons in Arabic to small groups of children, one after another, after their school time, which they love !

The enrolment has diminished since the beginning of the year, but there are still 57 children who follow regularly the programme of our classes. They benefit from a programme adapted to their capacities and from foundational educational and social training. It is good to remember that these young people would be at home doing nothing or in the streets if this possibility to attend school were not given to them. So thank you all who support our work, making it possible. Thank you in particular for the 20 French sponsors, the 20 Swiss sponsors, the 12 American sponsors, as well as for all who have made very helpful one-time gifts from England, Sweden, Holland and Lebanon !

First row from left to right: Hassan, Ghazi, Safa H, Safa M Second row: Yusra, Ali,Soad Third Row: Maher