What we did in 2025 – a quick summary
Above: In the kindergartens of the refugee camps
Dear friends,
Thank you so, so much for your continued support and generosity – you have deep gratitude from all the volunteers of our association and, especially, from the children we are trying to help.
In May 2025 four volunteers went to Lebanon after a long absence due to war. The situation was (and is) still unstable: despite a ceasefire since November 2024, there are still Israeli attacks nearly every day. The husband of one of the refugee kindergarten teachers was killed in one such bombing, and she was left alone with three small children. There is much destruction in cities and villages. We have seen and heard Israeli drones circle in the sky.
During our trip, we visited two kindergartens in the refugee camps of Shatila in the capital Beirut and Burj el-Shemali in the southern city of Tyre. The kindergartens are run by the local Association Najdeh, which we have known for many years, and are bright, clean and cheerful, and very well managed by really motivated staff. These kindergartens are important: they offer an initial education in Arabic and English to children who have few precious opportunities for education; a welcome respite from the daily misery of life in refugee camps; and access to the families themselves, so that social workers can intervene in case they detect serious problems.
We were able to help the refugee kindergartens (6 in total) stay open until the end of the school year (EUR 9284.42), until a new source of funding could be secured, as the widespread cuts to foreign aid have had a dramatic impact on refugees.
At FAID, the school for deaf children, we were able to finance a full year of a speech therapist (USD 9600), and the cooking gas for the school kitchen (USD 400).
For deaf children it’s difficult to learn to speak, as they cannot hear sounds. The speech therapist teaches them to recognise and form sounds, pronounce words, use their voice, and lip-read. This way, deaf children are given the chance to connect with the world around them, continue their education, find work, and become independent. Speech therapy is invaluable to them!
While we were in Lebanon, we also did a lot of maintenance work at FAID: we fixed the cabinets in the dormitory and in the kitchen, re-decorated the school’s Chapel, cleaned the garden and its external perimeter, made many repairs (coatracks, water taps, lamps, playground, door handles, etc). We also organised a small party for the children with cakes, sweets and soap-bubbles – invariably a huge success. It is always a pleasure to meet the children at FAID, those who have grown up since our last visit – we remember them as tiny kids, and now they are taller than us! – and many new small faces.
At FAID, the school for deaf children in Beirut: cool teenagers and a younger crowd
Income: donations to Lebanon Trust (€) (1.12.2024 – 30.11.2025)
| Fundraising initiatives, private donations, corporate sponsorships | |
| Total |
24’445.50 |
(Year close 30.11.2025; EUR/USD/CHF currency exchange rate: as applied by our bank in Ireland)
Expenditure: disbursements to the supported institutions, expenses (€)
| Bank and PayPal fees, web hosting & domains |
215.95 |
| Donation to FAID (school for the deaf) |
8’870.75 |
| Donation to Association Najdeh (refugee kindergartens) |
9’284.42 |
| Total |
18’371.12 |
| Difference (*) |
6’074.38 |
| Tools, materials and other expenses were paid for by the volunteers themselves | |
(*) Bank transfers to Lebanon have been difficult this year and, in two occasions, just impossible, for no clear reason. We will try again to send donations in the new year.
Many generous people donated through Benevity, The Irish Online Giving Foundation and The UK Online Giving Foundation (thank you Mick!). Our friend Kevin Boyle in Tralee once again organised a splendid and successful choir concert in June in favour of our projects. Thank you so much all!
Many heartfelt thanks to the many generous friends who helped this year
(Dec 1st, 2024 – Nov 30th, 2025):
• Kathleen, Mick, Carmel Halpin & family (Dublin & USA) • Amazon.com • Kevin Boyle and family (Tralee, Ireland) • S.D’A. & U.K. & fam. (Milan, Italy) • Fr. Tadgh and the Parish Centre of St. John’s • St John’s Church Choir • Kerry Chamber Choir • Kerry School of Music and Performing Arts Senior and Junior Orchestras and the soloists • QK Living Kitchens & Bedrooms (Dublin, Ireland) • Fam. Deverell (Dublin) • The Boss (Blanchardstown) • Anna Dal Negro & Axel Sonnenfeld (Zurich, CH) • Ole Vossnack (Zurich) • Catherine & Adrian Poeydomenge Ruf (Zurich) • Pat Stafford and Palmshade Ltd (Dublin) • Christoffer Swanström & fam. (Zurich) • Paul Reid Dental Laboratories (Dublin) • Michael Duffy (Dublin) • Dolphin Furniture Sales (Dublin) • Annalisa Bonfiglio (Chiavari, Italy) • Marlene Kazzi • Ammar Mlouk • Griffin Digital Print (Dublin) • The generous Walkinstown friends in St Peter’s Crescent and St Peter’s Drive who supported us (Dublin) • The Terence Welding Company (Dublin) • Luca Colosso Baur and family (Schwerzenbach, CH) • Ricky McCausland and Ansac Credit Union (Dublin) • Martina Merkle (Zurich) • Patricia Meade (Ca., USA) • Darragh O’Sullivan (Ireland) • Fam. Ricci (Arquata S., Italy) • Enrico & Lilli Bertolotto (Genoa, Italy) • MC Ferraro & A Bertolotto (Genoa) • Rosella Bertolotto & Fam. (Genoa) • Fam. Alberghini-Aquini (Arquata S.) • Fam. Ponzano (Arquata S.) • Fam. Boiani, Fam. Fasciolo-Barnabè (Arquata S.) and “Amici di Montaldero” • Giorgio Margotti (Livorno, Italy) • Fam. Zappavigna (Marina di Massa, Italy) • Fam. Vigna-Mori (Savona, Italy) • Fam. Cocurullo (Genoa) • Romilda Bertolotto (Genoa) • Fam. Devia (Genoa) • Fam. Prola-Smith (London, UK) • Sean Doyle (London) • Beni Biondi (Zurich) • John from Greenhills Church (Dublin) • The many people who sponsored Paul on the cards • and all the many other generous people who wish to remain anonymous – you know who you are!