Dearest Friends and Supporters,
We come to you with this month’s newsletter to share our latest news.
Unfortunately, the Sin El Fil area was under lockdown for most of the month, which meant that we had to cancel many of our planned activities. However, we do have some snippets to share with you!
Ongoing Soup Kitchen Project
In our continuous endeavors to make sure that our activities are as eco-friendly as possible, we have provided our seniors with reusable bags (generously donated by Elle & Vire) and Tupperware containers which we fill with food on a weekly basis. We do all the cleaning and washing of the Tupperware containers ourselves in order to make sure we are meeting hygiene requirements when serving our dear seniors. And how cute are those bags?!
Parenting Workshop with Himaya
We are very excited to have launched a second round of parenting sessions with our partners, Himaya. The themes of the workshop included awareness about sexual abuse and exploitation of children, child rights, issues of early marriage and motherhood, acceptance of other people (diversity), and controlling one’s stress amid crises, etc…
During the two-week lock down, the sessions were held with the mothers over the phone.
“Listen Project” with Himaya
A number of our students continue to attend sessions with Himaya as well, where they learn about positive communication. Percussion instruments are used to create rhythm, while the lyrics focus on the issue of children protection. In this picture, Himaya facilitator Mia is introducing the students to diverse genres of music from around the world. Being exposed to music from around the world teaches children acceptance of other peoples’ culture, habits, and ways of life!
We are also particularly proud of our collaboration with Himaya because they are opening their doors to children who need direct psychological intervention. We are currently receiving frequent calls from parents telling us that their children are struggling with the trauma of the Beirut port explosion. Whenever we receive such calls, we are immediately referring the children to Himaya who have a specialized team of psychologists ready to provide the necessary support to our students.
Preparing our Center
Three months after the Beirut blast, we are still working hard to get our center back to how it used to be. This month, we prepared the Arts & Crafts room that used to be always busy with our talented students. We hope we will be able to welcome them back soon, even if in smaller numbers in accordance with necessary health precautions. We wish to extend our gratitude to everyone who supported us financially and morally in order to continue our work! In this picture you can see our lovely Admin and Arts Program Assistant, non-other than Ms. Vanessa Salameh!
Donation Opportunities
In light of the ongoing financial crisis in Lebanon, we wish to remind our dear friends that Ayadina is always in need of your donations. A mere 50USD can keep a family fed for a whole month. Without your support, we will not be able to resume our other activities. More than ever, our students and parents need art therapy and psycho-social intervention in their lives. We would not be able to fulfill our mission without your generous support. We sincerely believe in Ayadina’s role in helping these children heal.
Below is a link where you can donate:
Just Help: https://www.just-help.org/c/ayadina
You can also visit our website in order to make a direct donation to our bank account in Lebanon:
https://www.ayadinaassociation.org/support-ayadina/
For further information about how to support Ayadina’s Soup Kitchen Project or the Arts Education Program, please do not hesitate to contact us either via email ([email protected]) or on the phone (+9611266611).
