Our family Christmas in Lebanon

by Mona Charif

My family and I spent our Christmas vacation in Lebanon. On Christmas day, it was cold and rainy, but we still wanted the kids to have a good day. We took the Safe Spaces students to an indoor sports pavilion that Ghaleb booked for them. There, we played soccer, basketball, volleyball, and many other games while also singing and dancing, and having lunch. Jad, my son, showed them for the first time how to throw and catch a baseball with a mitt. My daughter Dalia put together two soccer teams, boys against girls, to show the girls that they could win against the boys and play themselves. I had a great one on one conversation with Mouaffak; we talked about his plan to work hard, and he showed me what he learned. He counted for me in English and recited the English alphabet. We all ate manakish and drank juice while listening to music and enjoying each other’s company.

Two days later, we went down to the school and delivered the laptops we brought with us from the US. It was a great opportunity that Ghaleb put together with cake and celebration to announce the opening our new computer lab.

We showed the students how to type and play learning games that Rana had installed onto the laptops. The kids were drawn to this experience and enjoyed it very much. After two weeks, we are seeing great improvement in the kids desire to come to school and work on the computers. It was a great experience that helped us bond even greater with my family and these students. After they recognized my family and wanted to spend time with them, it made me see that we are all becoming one united family.

We will upload photos, videos, success stories to the website as we update the website. Shaun has been a great help in this regard. I’m working closely with him to ensure the appropriateness and accuracy of the material we’re posting.