The mountains in Lebanon make a diverse climate in comparison to the rest of the the Middle East and in the winter there are certain parts of the country that get very cold. Zahle is one of those places. Zahle is located in the Beqaa valley close to the border with Syria and has a large population of Syrian refugees. For the last 3 years Triumphant Mercy has helped to provide gas canisters for heaters for the refugee families there.
January through March in Lebanon becomes very cold reaching below freezing temperatures in certain places. The price of the gas canisters used for heaters continues to rise. For refugees there is the added difficulty because they are living in thin tents that make it even more difficult to keep warm during the winter. Our students stay bundled up doing homework wearing gloves to be able to study and families sleep all together in one room huddled together under the few blankets.
Refugee families cannot afford the four gas canisters a month necessary to stay warm added to their already bursting budgets. The vouchers that are given to them allow them to get the containers that will keep the one room they all sleep in warm for the children to study, mom to cook and for them to be able to sleep through the cold nights.
The stress that this relieves for families cannot be understated. Parents are less stressed knowing they will be able to get the canisters for the heater. Children are able to sleep well helping with their behavior and school work. The students from our school are also able to focus on studies so their grades don't suffer in the winter.
