It's been over a year since the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon but many families still have no home to return to. The violence continues to cause destruction and displacement. Access to clean water, electricity and heathcare is a daily struggle, and the psychological impact of the conflict is huge.

One of the ways donations to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal are helping families through the crisis is by providing essential services at a community centre in Beirut through Mouvement Social, a local partner of DEC charity Christian Aid. These are the stories of some of the women and children who receive support at the centre.

When conflict neared Sama’s* village in Bekaa Valley she and her mother fled their home. Within an hour of them leaving, their home was destroyed in an air strike.

Sama managed to escape with her cherished sewing machine with her, which she uses to earn a living for herself and her mother.

Now living in a small apartment in Beirut, the support she receives at the DEC funded community centre is helping her improve her sewing skills and rebuild her livelihood.

I feel joy in my heart every time I turn on the sewing machine. It makes me happy knowing that people with disabilities can work too. 

In Sama's words:

“Our house was bombed. It was levelled to the ground. In the rush, I took only the most important things; firstly my beloved sewing machine.

I came to Beirut because my mother’s high blood pressure would have worsened from the fear of staying in our village. I do feel pressure caring for my mother, but I am very patient. She supported me when I was young, and now I must support her.

The sewing machine is my livelihood and my life. Before the machine, I had nothing; no support from others, and I have special needs. When I tried to look for work, no one would hire me. I felt shut off from the world.

I did not know about Mouvement Social [community centre] before I moved here. They visited me at home and I told them about our situation. Miss Rosa, a social worker, told me about a new vocational training project in sewing.

Mouvement Social means as much to me as the sewing machine; it’s my strength. I hope that with their support, I will become more skilled at sewing and increase my daily earnings to cover our living expenses and my mother’s medications. She takes ten different medicines each day.”

Before the conflict, Laila’s* sons rarely cried or expressed anger. The family lived a peaceful life in a house with a garden where the boys would play, with extended family living nearby.

Since fleeing to Beirut, Laila has been struggling with feelings of isolation and uncertainty, and her sons have been deeply affected by the experience.

The DEC funded support at the community centre is providing not only access to essential services like showers and laundry facilities, but mental health support that has helped them feel cared for, and less alone.

It helps to know there is someone who cares about you, that you are not facing this problem alone.

In Laila's words:

“Mornings were special in our village. We woke early, sat outside in the garden, made coffee while the children drank milk, and we listened to Fairuz with the birds singing. That is what I miss most. Life there was full of neighbours and family; you felt seen.

When the airstrikes intensified we had to leave the village and go to Beirut. My brother’s car broke down on the way. We were on the road from noon until 2am. The children were afraid because they had never lived through war or displacement before.

My sons are very different now compared to before the war. Now, they cry often, they are always tense, and they argue all the time. I am worried about them, especially my youngest son, Ali. Through his tears he told me, ‘We are going to die, that’s it. We fled the south, and we’ll die here..” I reassured him: ‘No, we will not die. We will carry on, and you will live, grow up, and complete university for sure.” Yet even now, he still feels this fear whenever he hears the sound of a plane or fireworks.

I am taking Ali to Mouvement Social for psychological support, and the sessions there have helped both of us. We try to work on things that help us better face the difficulties we are experiencing. The social workers are attentive and supportive, and they help ease our pain."

As Lebanon faces its worst drought on record, getting access to water for her family has been Zeinab’s biggest daily challenge since arriving in Beirut with nothing but the clothes on their back.

This pressure is eased at the DEC funded community centre where she and her family are able to shower and use laundry facilities, reducing their reliance on the public water supply.

But the centre is more than a place to access essential services. Zeinab is also taking her daughter to mental health support sessions with a social worker there, which is helping her engage with family life again.

Now my daughter has started going out and spending time with us, which makes me truly happy.

In Zeinab's words:

“In winter, water was available, but by late May we began to face shortages. Often there is no state [water] supply at all, and when it does come, we have to fill up every two days. Once, the water did not arrive at all, and we had to buy some from a private truck instead. My daughter caught a virus [from it]; we all did, but she had it the worst.

When the water comes I go down, remove the hose, and suck with my mouth until it starts to flow. I fill gallon-sized bottles, waiting ten to fifteen minutes for each to fill, then lift them into the tank and repeat the process.

I go to the centre regularly, especially when there is no water. Their support has helped us a lot during the water cuts, and with their help we worry less. Water for the bathroom and laundry is what costs us the most, so this assistance makes a real difference.

My eldest daughter used to be like a butterfly in our village; she was always playing, her voice filling the entire village. Now she is almost silent, staying in her room and locking herself away.

When I first went to the centre I was introduced to Rosa, a social worker there. She came with my daughter and I could see that she enjoyed meeting her, and I felt a bit better too.
I brought my daughter with me the next time and Rosa spoke with her again. I could feel her
beginning to change.”

A recurring theme across the stories shared during this co-created storytelling project is the strong relationship between women who access services at the DEC funded centre in Beirut, and the social workers who support them.

Abir, a mother of two, first met social worker Rafce when, like the other displaced families, she came to register for the centre’s services. Since then, Abir and Rafce have formed a close and lasting bond.

Abir has been supported with food, access to showers, hygiene items and will soon start cookery courses with the centre. She has also received mental health support.

The war created many difficulties for us, but here we found a place where we can feel better.

In Abir's words:

“When I first came in through the centre’s door, I saw Rafce in front of me and my heart felt at ease straight away. Everyone at the centre was special, but Rafce was the most special to me. I was able to talk to her about [my family] and I felt better.

Trust is the most important thing. When someone trusts a person, it helps them to talk about everything that is in their heart. To speak openly; you can’t just talk to anyone.

This support had a big impact on us. I came to the centre for psychological and emotional support. I found all of this here for myself and my children.

Living through the war brought both bad times and good. Bad, because we were not used to living this way. Good, because we met exceptional people who entered our lives and helped us feel better.”

In Rafce's words:

"Psychological support is the biggest role I play here at the centre. The children come to us to draw, paint or sing, and we listen to them. We try to remove the worry from their hearts, and we tell them, ‘We are with you.’

It is very important for people we support here to feel they have their feet on the ground, to
understand what they are going through emotionally and feel it.

I won’t be able to feel Abir’s feelings, but I can tell her, ‘Abir, this time will pass.’ Just
by telling someone, ‘I feel your pain and this time will pass,’ it helps them feel better, and it’s what strengthens our relationships with those who come to us at Mouvement Social.

As social workers in the heart of Lebanon, we all face challenges, but it’s our mission to be rooted within schools and organisations like Mouvement Social. Wherever we are needed, we must show up with all our strength, so that we can pass that strength on to them."

*Names changed to protect identity