A fantastic cake sale in Dublin

On July 28 budding bakers and cake lovers alike gathered for a fabulous cake sale and raffle in favour of Lebanon Trust. More than EUR 900 were raised for our charitable projects.

A million thanks to those who helped, participated, bought, donated, eaten, and in particular to our friend  Mick Halpin, who can get the impossible done and whose help was – as always – truly invaluable.

Tralee’s splendid generosity

The proceeds from last Friday’s fundraising drive in the streets of Tralee reached EUR 700.

Kudos to the whole town, and especially to those who contributed with their time, their work and their unending generosity! Bravo and THANK YOU!

Fundraising in Tralee (Ireland) on Friday 22 July

Lebanon Trust’s Tralee Chapter, headed by our officer Noel Conway, will hold a fundraising drive in the town, on Friday July 22nd.

Many friends and supporters lend their time and effort to the worthy cause of our charitable projects: a school for deaf children in Beirut and two kindergartens for refugee children.

A big THANK YOU to all who will donate generously!

For more information, please contact us.

FAID’s annual art exhibition

Like every year The Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf held its art exhibition to showcase the pupils’ work. This year’s theme, and title of the event, was “Read my Hands”. FAID’s children demonstrated originality and the ability to express themselves in a very personal way, with just a nod to tradition. The artworks were hosted by Beirut’s Exode art gallery, in the vibrating heart of the city.

It was a great opportunity for FAID’s students to see their work exhibited and admired by the many visitors.

FAID’s pupils learn the ancient craft of mosaic

Learning crafts is an important part of children’s education. The deaf children at FAID are no exception – last year they leaned furniture restoration, and this year they are mastering the ancient craft of creating mosaic, from design to installation. Congratulations to the young masters!

Our Officer Noel is currently at FAID in Beirut, laying the groundwork for our 2016 trip

Lebanon Trust’s officer Noel is spending three weeks in Lebanon, at the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf. He is now defining and preparing the work that we will carry out in October during our trip to Lebanon – literally laying the groundwork for a playground next to the girls’ dormitory.

Later this year we will build and complete this playground.

A Lebanon Trust officer is going to spend three weeks in Lebanon

Noel, Lebanon Trust’s Advisor, is going to spend three weeks in Lebanon. He will spend time with the boarders at The Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf, those pupils who sleep at the school during the week – and enliven their afternoons with sport and games.

Have a great stay in Lebanon Noel!

@LebanonTrust is now on Twitter

A new online presence for Lebanon Trust: our new Twitter handle @LebanonTrust, for keeping in touch easily as never before! Follow us here.

A corporation’s generosity reflects its people’s generosity

Symantec Corporation Limited (Dublin) has generously matched its own employees’ generosity with a donation of over EUR 1500. The company and the employees really show how much good one can do. We can never thank them enough – but the very real improvement they bring in the lives of the deaf and refugee children in Lebanon speaks for itself. A special thank you to Annette Dempsey, Paula Dunphy, Jayne Delahunt and Mick Halpin who, with their colleagues and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, have given invaluable support over the years.

Thank you to our generous friends

Many friends have started the new year by showing their generosity towards less fortunate people. Many heartfelt thanks to: Giovanna Pellegrini (Genoa, Italy); Giovanni e Lucia F. (Asmara, Eritrea); Mr Licinio Aquini and Ms Caterina Alberghini (Arquata Scrivia, Italy); Silvana Falaschini (Livorno, Italy); Mariapia Porta (Genoa, Italy); Caterina Pellegrini (Turin, Italy); Martina Merkle (Zurich, Switzerland). Your generosity will go a long way.

A new website for Lebanon Trust

In January we launched a completely new and redesigned website. You can now search for what interests you, subscribe to our RSS feed, like us on Facebook, flip through our Frequently Asked Questions, read our blog, comment on the news and subscribe. Of course, your feedback is more than welcome: you can use our new contact page. Enjoy!

Lebanon Trust has been registered with the new Charities Regulatory Authority of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland has created a body to oversee Charities and ensure transparency on their activities. Lebanon Trust’s application has been accepted, and its details now appear on the Charities Regulatory Authority’s official register: on this page (opens another tab).

Our friends have displayed their courage by braving the waves on Christmas day. Special thanks to Mike Shea, Michael Conway and Chelsea Conway who raised over €400 for Lebanon Trust – and our gratitude to all those who sold cards.

November 2015: our volunteers are back from Lebanon

Lebanon Trust Chairman Christy Kinsella delivers the financing for the school bus and classroom heating to FAID

Two young deaf pupils at FAID, refugees from Syria

Two volunteers at work at FAID.

Some of FAID’s deaf pupils, in their school uniforms, during recess.

Lebanon Trust made a donation to the kindergarten of the Burj el Shemali refugee camp, Tyre

Lebanon Trust volunteers deliver their donation to the Chatila kindergarten head teacher Mariam, in the refugee camp

A refugee child at play. The kindergartens are an oasis of calm and safety in the overcrowded refugee camps.

The Chatila kindergarten has a small playground on the roof, the only available space in the refugee camp; the children love it

In November 2015 Lebanon Trust’s volunteers again travelled to Lebanon for their work in support of the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf in Beirut and of two kindergartens for refugee children, in the refugee camp of Chatila in Beirut and in the camp of Burj el Shemali in Tyre, in the South of Lebanon. The total amount donated in 2015 slightly exceeded last year’s.

Lebanon is in a critical situation due to the war in neighbouring Syria. Refugees make up one in four of the population, the highest proportion in the world. The UN Refugee Agency has a 50% funding shortfall ahead of winter. Violence spilling from across the border creates a volatile environment. During our stay, nearly 50 people lost their lives in a twin suicide bomb attack in Beirut.

Our volunteers’ mobility was partly curtailed for security reasons.

A brief summary of our results in 2015:

• The Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf (FAID) in Beirut: one year’s worth of funding for the school bus, the electricity generator and the classrooms’ heating. Total: $ 8000.
• Kindergarten of the Chatila refugee camp in Beirut: on-going financial support for books and educational material, $ 3000
• Kindergarten of the Burj el Shemali refugee camp in Tyre: on-going financial support for books and educational material, $ 1000
• Partial re-painting of the school’s external walls; general building maintenance work; pruning of all trees, removal of dead or dangerous branches and plants. Clean-up of the playground, garden, courtyard, outside perimeter. Painting of windows, handrails, roof gutters, external doors and gates. The tools and material have been purchased by Lebanon Trust, and the work carried out by the volunteers themselves and by local staff paid by Lebanon Trust: total $ 800
• Evaluation of the work done by FAID and discussion of their plans and needs; meetings with their management (Director and Board), with the staff and pupils; further definition of our mode of collaboration
• Field visit to the Chatila refugee camp in Beirut and its kindergarten; inspection of classrooms, roof playground and educational material financed by Lebanon Trust, meeting with the teachers, the children and the schoolmaster
• Field visit to the Burj el Shemali refugee camp in Tyre and its kindergarten; inspection of new and refurbished classrooms and playground; meetings with pupils, teachers and head teacher; detailed discussion about their needs and plans.

For the eighth consecutive year, in 2015 we worked at the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf (FAID) in Beirut. Last year’s changes in the school management have yielded very positive results. Staff members are motivated, new initiatives are undertaken, the school premises are well kept and there are many ideas, of course limited by the very scarce resources available to the school.

The school hosts many Syrian refugee children, referred by the government. Many of them are traumatised by war and violence, and the youngest have never attended school, having come of age during the war. Despite this, at FAID they learn and progress, however slowly, thanks to a safe environment where they find warmth and friendship. The school provides them with hearing aids and individual therapy free of charge.

The Chatila refugee camp in Beirut hosts hundreds of families from Syria and is now overwhelmingly crowded. The Burj el Shemali camp in the historical city of Tyre hosts many Syrian refugees as well, mostly of Palestinian origin, in addition to its original population. The camp kindergartens that we support strive to offer a haven of calm, order and safety to their pupils despite these extremely difficult conditions. The Burj el Shemali kindergarten recently managed to build a new classroom in the tiny space it has at its disposal, and refurbished its small playground. The children learn reading and writing in Arabic and English. The teachers are extremely motivated, active and welcoming; they make the most of the limited resources they have. This is very encouraging for us and, we believe, for our donors as well.

Lebanon Trust donated toys, colouring books, pens, balls, etc. to the kindergarten and a total of $ 4’000 for additional educational material.

Our special thanks to:

Maria Cristina Ferraro (Genoa, Italy);
Martina Merkle (Zurich, Switzerland);
Robert Sumner & Silvan Scheller (Zurich, Switzerland);
Fam. Prola-Smith (London, UK);
Kathleen O’Hare (Cork, Irlanda);
Ole Vossnack (Zurich, Switzerland);
Alessandro Bertolotto (Genoa, Italy) ;
Natale e Carla Ferraro (Genoa, Italy);
Giovanna Pellegrini (Genoa, Italy);
Fam Zappavigna (Marina di Massa, Italy);
Romilda e Nino Cocurullo (Genoa, Italy);
Catherine Poeydomenge & Adrian Ruf (Zurich, Switzerland);
Marisa e Angelo Spineto (Busalla, GE, Italy);
Fam. Della Penna (Genoa, Italy);
Fam. Parodi (Genoa, Italy);
Enrico e Lilli Bertolotto (Genoa, Italy);
Fam. Buda (Genoa, Italy);
Fam Ricci (Arquata Scrivia, AL, Italy);
Silvana Falaschini Margotti (Livorno, Italy);
Maria Pia Porta (Genoa, Italy);
The organisers and attendees of the “Giardino Segreto” literary evenings in Arquata Scrivia (AL, Italy);
Paolo Piva (Paris, France);
Fam. Smith (Genoa, Italy);
Fam. Marsi (Arquata Scrivia, AL, Italy);
Ugo Serra (Genoa, Italy);
Fam. Spineto (Arquata Scrivia, AL, Italy);
Fam. Robotti (Arquata Scrivia, AL, Italy);
Sig.ra Pessino (Arquata Scrivia, AL, Italy);
Sig.ra Agostini (Arquata Scrivia, AL, Italy);
Patsy Graham, volunteer (Brooklawn, Lisnagry, Co Limerick);
Joe Fitzgerald, volunteer (Tralee);
Symantec Corporation Limited (Dublin); and, in particular, Annette Dempsey, Paula Dunphy, Jayne Delahunt and Mick Halpin who, with their colleagues, have given tremendous support over the years;
Staff, Committee and customers at St Peregrines GAA Club, Blanchardstown (Dublin);
The Castle Bar (Tralee);
Linnane’s Bar (Tralee);
Niall Nolan of Nolan’s Garage (Tralee);
Dunnes Stores (Tralee);
Alan Conway, Con Bailey, Paddy Powers Bookmakers (Tralee);
Noel O’Connor, Adams garage (Tralee);
Boylesports (Tralee);
John Fitzgerald (Tralee);
Sean P. Moran (Tralee);
Liam and Gillian Loughnane (Tralee);
Johnny Murphy (Dublin);
Mark Teahan, Tralee Printing Works Ltd;
Catherine Robinson;
St. Patrick’s Day Care Centre (Tralee);
Catherine Roche & family (Tralee);
Margaret Bell & family (Tralee);
Norman Foley (Tralee);
Kieran Griffin, Counihan’s Shop (Tralee);
Sean McCord, Aqua Dome (Tralee);
All street collectors in Tralee;
Michael Conway (Tralee);
Aisling Conway, Sean Taaffe (Tralee);
Amy Conway, Hilsers Jewellers (Tralee);
Alan Conway, Meadowlands Hotel (Tralee);
George & Brenda and the CIE Social Welfare Club (Tralee);
Collins family (Tralee);
Kerins O’Rahilly’s GAA Club (Tralee);
Jim & Theresa, Cassidy’s Restaurant (Tralee);
Brogue Inn Restaurant (Tralee);
Rays in Rock Street (Tralee);
The Roast House (Tralee);
An Teach Beag (Tralee);
John Dowling Sports (Tralee);
Henneberys Sports Shop (Tralee);
Moran Food Store, Strand Street (Tralee);
Billy O’Leary, Spa Road (Tralee);
McCormack’s Cycle Centre, Dorset Street Lower (Dublin);
Eddy McHugh’s Shop, Greenhills (Dublin);
O’Neill’s House of Sport, Walkinstown (Dublin);
Paul Reid Dental Laboratories (Dublin);
Pat Stafford of Stafford Engineering (Dublin);
Stephen McGuire (Dublin);
Nipper Kelly, Greenhills (Dublin);
Dine Allen (Dublin);
Big Mick (Dublin);
The Cherry Tree Pub (Dublin);
The Pines Club (Dublin);
Laurels Pub (Dublin);
Rialto Pub (Dublin);
Johnnie Sheen (Dublin);
Mark Raymond Tiling (Dublin);
Griffin Digital Print (Dublin), who have helped us tremendously over the years;
Paul Murphy (Dublin);
Sean Horace (Dublin);
Hanno, Eugene, Bock, Noel, Kazimierz (Dublin);
Dorin, Liam, Brendan (Dublin);
Lilliput Stores (Dublin);
Patrick, Gogs, Daridcullen, Catherine (Dublin);
Jo Kelly (Dublin);
Dogget (Dublin);
A. Douglas (Dublin);
M. Mulvey (Dublin).

October 2015: Lebanon Trust volunteers are getting ready for another supporting trip to Lebanon

At the end of the month we are going to Lebanon again. We will have new volunteers and much work to do. Fundraising is under way! Many, many thanks to all who help us with their time and generosity.