03 August 2010
TEL BIBA, Akkar: The total reconstruction of a primary school in one of the more deprived parts of the country, a mere five kilometers from the Syrian border, entered its preliminary stages Monday as young volunteers from across the country joined forces to raise the new structure.
The school, which is attended by 53 students, generally aged between six and nine, previously comprised of only two classrooms and one bathroom and had students occupying every possible inch of space. Due to the dire conditions of the site, the renovation project, – run by Lebanese NGO Joy of Giving – has been forced to totally flatten the building before embarking on the reconstruction process which will see the first bricks being laid on Wednesday.
“This school could not have been described as a school, you cannot imagine the condition it was in, it was horrible,” said Melhem Khalaf, secretary general of Joy of Giving. “We are creating hope for the people of this village but also hope for our whole country.”
The new structure, to be built over two phases, will have 11 classrooms as well sports facilities such as a basketball court.
Over 22 volunteers aged 15 – 25 will participate in the project and will be helped by local construction workers as well as other specialists and parents in erecting the new building.
“We have people from every part of the country who have come here to help in the reconstruction,” said Khalaf. “We have people who have come from the south, right on the border with Israel, and have made it all the way to the northern border just to be involved with this.
“This is a sign to say Lebanon will never die. It is a sign of the good intentions to build a better future and a better tomorrow, to show that we are all building something in common as part of a true unified national effort.”
The Joy of Giving is a non-affiliated NGO and youth movement which encourages volunteerism amongst the young and tries to foster a sense of national unity through various development and youth projects.
“We can’t just say words. We cannot change anything by words – we must change things by our actions,” said Khalaf. “We have to give our young people a project so that they can see we can do it, and that we can do it together.”
Many different institutions apply each year to benefit from Joy of Giving services, but only a few – those deemed the most in need and also the least able to communicate this and attract sponsors – are selected.
The number of volunteers, however, is growing with each year and project and some 350 are presently working around the country.
“I first started volunteering last year and it was such a great experience that I had to do it again,” said 17-year old Halal Bohsali, a project volunteer from Beirut. “It is an experience like no other when you start to realize the power people just like you can have.”
Copyright The Daily Star 2010.
