Help me raise money to volunteer in Lebanon

Hi, my name is Miriam, and I'm fundraising to be able to go to Lebanon this August to do some volunteering. I'm 21 years old, and although I was born and raised in London, I am half Polish and half Lebanese.

Growing up, I have been fortunate enough to visit my family in Lebanon at least once every two years. I have experienced its incredibly warm and rich culture, the hospitable mentality of all the people and Lebanon's beautiful landscapes. I have also witnessed the hardships that are a daily reality of the people living there: lack of electricity, an inefficient waste-collection system, hyperinflation, an influx of Syrian refugees, and more recently, I have witnessed the devastating consequences of the explosion in Beirut in 2020. And now, Lebanon has suffered yet again with the war in the Middle East. As a country very close to my heart, I have been emotionally affected by the bombings that have happened in Lebanon, the huge number of casualties and the even greater number of people that have lost everything and now find themselves as refugees.

Back in 2019, I went to a summer camp in Lebanon where we did volunteering. We went to care homes and talked, sang and danced with the people there, distributed food to the homebound, collected litter from the streets, organised various games and activities for the children of the village around the topic of recycling, visited those with down syndrome, and more. Although the external impact of this may not have been huge and we were unable to solve the complex, fundamental problems that Lebanon faces, I believe that to give even a bit of hope and joy to the people we encountered makes it worthwhile. This was also an experience that had a huge part to play in the person that I have become today. It opened my eyes to a completely different reality and expanded my heart by giving a little bit of myself to those around me. Since then, I have been an avid advocate for the power of volunteering, even in seemingly trivial and menial ways, because I believe that an act of service and love, no matter how small, can go a long way - it can change hearts.

This August, I am hoping to return to Lebanon with a couple of friends to do some volunteering alongside the Sisters of Charity that are based in Beirut. These Sisters take care of various groups of people - a group for babies between 2 months and a year old, a group for children, a group for those with Down Syndrome, and a group for the elderly. My friends and I will be helping out with the children's group by organising fun and educational games and activities for them, as well as helping them with their English. We hope to be able to bring them some hope and joy amid all the suffering they have experienced.

If you’re able to support me with any donations, that would be a great help in funding flights and also taking materials and resources for the children there. I will also be running a 10km race on 29th June for this cause too. I am most of all though counting on thoughts and prayers for continued peace in Lebanon and the Middle East.

Thank you for reading this and for your support.