Give sanitary pads to vulnerable women in Beqaa

Thank you so much for showing interest in supporting and empowering vulnerable women in the Beqaa Valley in Libanon!

FIRST OF ALL, YOUR DONATIONS WILL GO TO:

Sanitary pads! The price of sanitary pads has increased with almost 500% since the financial crisis (2019) and pads can costs up to 23$. Therefore many of the women can't afford pads and use stuff like newspaper, toilet paper or old rags instead which is so problematic in all aspects.

2/3 of the donations will go to sanitary pads and 1/3 to keep the center running!

My name is Mathilde and during my summer holidays, I went to Lebanon to work for Circle of Wellbeing - a NGO operating in the Bekaa Valley close to the Syrian border. Circle of Wellbeing is a women's centre and an organisation working with very vulnerable women and their children in the Beqaa Valley. Women who had their first child at the age of 13, women with refugee background, women in mentally and physically vulnerable positions, women with very few financial resources, women living in abusive relationships and much more could be mentioned. Circle of Wellbeing works to support and empower these women by providing knowledge and tools to manage mental and physical wellbeing, health, and parenting, as well as education in rights, English literacy and Arabic literacy. Most importantly, Circle of Wellbeing offers a safe space where women can come, focus on themselves and feel acknowledged, respected and valued just as they are - while their amazing children are cared for in the room next door. Right now, around 60 women come to the centre every week, but more women are gradually joining because the need of this support is so strong!

My work:

At the centre, I did various sessions with the women, spent time with their children and helped distribute over 6000 litres of water to the women and their families, as many cannot afford clean drinking water despite the 40 degrees in July/August. I also did sessions on back pain and back pain prevention and exercises (with the help and knowledge of physiotherapist Lotte Roerup - THANK YOU SO MUCH), where we practised how to lift in the right way to take care of the back (some of the women have up to 8-10 children). I also did sessions on self-care and mindfulness. It was a huge honour and incredibly moving to work with the women and their children, and I hope I can come back again soon!

The work of Circle of Wellbeing:

- Pregnancy projects: sessions with pregnant women

- Newborn projects: sessions with mothers and their newborns

- Co-operation with other NGOs. For example to provide children and women with dental check-ups, toothbrushes and dental hygiene education

- Distribution of clean drinking water (we distributed 6000 liter water in the summer heat because the women cant afford clean drinking water) , food, pregnancy kits and much more

- One-on-one sessions with life-coaches

- English and Arabic literacy classes (many of the women can't read or write Arabic even though it is their mother tounge)

-Sessions on self-love and self-care

- Yoga classes with breathing exercises

- Education on topics such as urinary tract infection, backpain, etc., which many of the women struggle with

-Art classes... AND MUCH MORE

I REALLY believe in the work Circle of Wellbeing is doing! I have seen with my own eyes how important the women's centre is for the women and how much it is needed! So I hope with all my heart that you would like to support my fundraising!

All contributions - big or small - mean the world, and I really hope that we can give a little bit of warmth and support to some of those who need it the most.

I know there's a lot going on in the world right now, and that many people are in need of help. So no matter what, I hope you'll give a little warmth to those who need it most right now - whether it's civilians in the war in Gaza or Ukraine, the hungercrisis in South Sudan or women in Lebanon <3

You can read more about Circle of Wellbeing here: https://www.instagram.com/circleofwellbeing1/

If you have any questions, you are more than welcome to contact me on +45 61 70 91 96 or [email redacted]

THANK YOU SO MUCH <3