The ongoing war in Lebanon is causing immense suffering and disruption, leaving countless communities in desperate need of assistance.

In Baissour alone, a small town in Mount Lebanon, there are already more the 4000 displaced individuals sheltering in the public school and hosted in private houses. Our initiative is to selectively channel funds to a team on the ground that can address the immediate needs of displaced families in Baissour (and other locations). Your generous support is vital to our initiative to provide essential aid to those affected. The sooner you contribute, the more displaced families we can assist.

We choose to work closely with local and trusted individuals (family members and close friends) in Baissour and other locations to ensure that funds are directed to the families who need assistance the most. On a daily basis, our team will be on-site visiting the displacement centers to evaluate the effectiveness of our support and maintain accountability. 

As the crisis intensifies and the displacement continues, we are branching out to support other locations/centers in different areas where we have contacts with trusted partners/teams. Finally, we are keeping the campaign open for the next few months in anticipation of growing needs and to sustain the support.

Please see weekly activities updates below:

Update for Our Donors - #5

(as of Nov 11, 2024)

Support operations have been smooth in both of our centers. The centers were visited by international reporters and our initiative was featured in this Lemonde story where our team and several of the displaced families/individuals were interviewed and quoted. The centers were also visited by members of an NGO called Sanad, which provides psychological support to the displaced families. The NGO activists organized activities for the children with the participation of adults in both centers. These activities will run on a weekly basis through the participation of children and families in drawing activities, games, and book readings.

Keeping the families warm this winter:

• In collaboration with an upcycling second hand NGO called FabricAid, we procured and distributed 400 boxes of winter kits for adults and kids. Each box include a variety of clothing items such as T-shirt, scarf or winter cap, light jacket or hoodie, pants/jeans, sweater, long sleeve shirt or long sleeve t-shirt, heavy jacket/coat or sweater or winter top (see pictures). In addition to these boxes, we also distributed about 250 pieces of individual winter clothing which were donated to us by an activist who collected them. A portion of these donations were also distributed to displaced families in the town of Ramlieh.
• The team procured and installed floor matting and carpets in both centers to keep families warm, especially at night.
• We are still working on sourcing and organizing heating solutions for both centers.

Caring for displaced families in temporary housing:

• The team distributed 400 food rations in Baissour and beyound.
• The team distributed 250 house cleaning rations
• The team provided miscellaneous support to needy families (washing machine, payments for electricity subscription/motor, cleaning supplies, etc.)

The Caravan kitchen remains operational and is providing more than 300 meals a day:

• We have received in-kind donations of food items in the value of $4000 which will be used by the kitchen

Updates for Our Donors - Week 4

(as of Oct 23, 2024)

- Our two centers currently host 175 displaced individuals.
- Both of our centers have been registered as shelters with the state relief agency. This would allow us to receive aid and other services whenever they become available. In this context, the centers were visited by doctors from (i) the Ministry of Health providing general examinations and needed medications and (ii) from the Lebanese Red Cross who also handed food and hygiene rations to 10 families.

Caring for displaced families in temporary housing:
* The team distributed 25 food rations to displaced families in the town of Aramoun and provided a washing machine (to be shared by these families in one building)
* The team distributed 400 food rations in Baissour and beyound. These include essential food items such as (oil, tuna, sardines, pasta, rice, mortadella, cheese, oil, etc.)
* The team distributed 250 house cleaning rations which include (soap, loofah, toothbrushes/paste, tissues, dishwash liquid, cleaning detergent, etc.)

The Caravan kitchen is currently providing more than 300 meals a day:
* These meals are provided to our guests in the 2 centers plus families staying at temporary housing
* Since late September, our Kitchen has provided about 6500 meals

Preparations for winter cold:
* The team is currently preparing solutions for heating and warm clothing for the families
* The team set up and installed a wood burner in one of the centers.
* We are negotiating with a second hand clothing vendor to provide warm clothing/gear to the families (Heavy/light jacket or coat, Scarf, pants, Sweater, Long-sleeve shirt, T-shirt).

Updates for Our Donors - Week 3

(as of Oct 14, 2024)

- We are currently managing and operating two displacement centers which host in total about 200 individuals . Both centers are currently operating under stable, organized, and seamless workflow. In addition, we expanded our support to cover the needs of displaced families staying in temporary private housing in town through providing a weekly package (food ration, cleaning supplies). Our hot meal operation is feeding more than 250 people a day.
 
The new center is operational and currently hosts 50 individuals:

• We installed and fully equipped the new center with the following: solar energy system (panels, inverter, batteries, cabling); washing machine, refrigerator, cooking gas, showers with hot water, bathrooms, internet, TV, cleaning supplies, basic kitchen/tools.
• Provided mattresses, blankets, pillows + clothes for those in need + toys for kids.
• We are providing on a daily basis: drinking water, lunch hot meal, food supplies for breakfast/dinner (bread, vegetables, dairy, fruits).
• We are providing the medications needed of our guests

Our Caravan kitchen is providing about 250-300 meals a day:

• These meals are provided to our guests in the 2 centers plus additional families staying at temporary housing
• The kitchen operation is very efficient and running at low cost benefiting from donations (food supplies) and the help of volunteers (locals and from the displaced families helping in the kitchen and delivering to families in temporary houses)

Caring for displaced families in temporary housing:

• We started providing weekly rations to displaced families in temporary housing in town
• The team prepared and distributed 200 food rations to 200 families. These packages include tuna/sardine cans, pasta/rice, mortadella, cooking oil, cheese, thyme, etc.
  
• Medication: we responded to medications demands and covered medical expenses for few extreme cases for vulnerable individuals.
• In few extreme cases, we provide necessary supplies to make families' stay more hospitable (washing machine, carpets, clothes, etc..)

Coordinating with other initiatives and leveraging local volunteers/donations:

• We are coordinating with other individual initiatives in other areas, offering advice/knowhow and connections. We are exploring different mechanisms of support to these initiatives
• We received volunteers from Beirut who put together entertainment activities for kids and adults over the weekend (acrobat yoga)

Updates for Our Donors - Week 2

(As of October 8th, 2024)

• The number of displaced families have increased tremendously, reaching around 4000 in Baissour alone.
• In addition to equipping and managing the Cultural Center in Baissour, which currently hosts about 150 individuals, the team set up a new Center in town which accommodates 50 to 60 individuals. The center started receiving families today, October 7. Our team will be fully responsible for supporting the needs of the families at this new center.

The team implemented the following activities to set up the center:

1. Installed separators to form 10 independent rooms inside the structure.
2. Installed hot water, 2 showers, and water tanks.
3. Installed a waterproof canopy on the tiled roof to protect against winter rain.
4. Installed solar panels to provide electricity and extend lighting in the space.
5. Provided gas for cooking / water heating for daily use.
6. Provided mattresses, blankets and pillows.
7. Provided a washing machine, refrigerator and TV.

Additionally:

• The team will be providing daily meals (lunch) and necessary food supplies for (breakfast/dinner).
• Currently our food supply operations feeds about 250 individuals daily (those in the 2 centers + some families staying in private houses).
• We are in conversations with other individuals / initiatives in other areas to explore additional ways / mechanisms of support.

(Our gallery has been updated with some of the efforts above.)

Updates for Our Donors - Week 1

(As of October 1st, 2024)

In the last couple of days our team on the ground has been working tirelessly to organise the workflow at the premisses of the Centre and put it in full operating mode.

We were able to achieve the following:

1. Formed an external kitchen in collaboration with a local caterer who will be providing daily hot meals (lunch) for about 200 displaced individuals.
2. Formed complementary in-house cooking stations by supplying and installing gas canisters and stoves, that will be used for water heating, cooking of smaller number of meals and preparation of baby food. ( 9 stations )
3. Formed a pantry with dry food, utensils and hygiene supplies.
4. Upgraded existing toilets into the fully operational bathrooms by supplying and installing large water tanks on the roof as well as smaller hot water tanks with all necessary piping and electrical works within the bathrooms.( 2 stations + 1 large water tank )
5. Supplied mattresses.
6. Started installation of wooden structures and panelling within the central hall, to form separate sleeping spaces and provide more privacy for displaced families.

Banner Image: Hussein Malla/AP (AP)