Provide meals for Syrian and Lebanese refugees

We strongly believe that one of the main characteristics of Oui pour la vie’s foodbank, is the stability and the security it conveys and inspires to people. Actually, our project is still operating four days per week, serving meals to Lebanese as well as to refugee families. However, the number of families in need is constantly increasing, and unfortunately in this moment we are not able to provide complete meals for all the people who come to us. Therefore, for the time being, we are maintaining a list of families who receive bread, juice and any other kind of food we are able to provide.

Refugee families who are able to travel abroad, are being replaced with other families which are on the waiting list. The list is constantly updated by Oui pour la vie volunteers, who visit newcomers to the region, and keep in contact with already established families.

We are deeply thankful to all of you, for the fundamental support we are receiving, without whom it would not be possible to carry out this project.

We also take the opportunity to wish a very merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all!

The situation is increasingly complex: the Syrian world continues to claim victims among the civilian population and every day many families leave their homes hoping to improve their condition. In reality, even in Lebanon the future remains uncertain and most of them find themselves living in "informal" camps that are not considered by the government and are not able to cope with everyday expenses. As highlighted by the ONU refugee agency, 76 percent of refugees live in extreme poverty, with less than 2.87 per person per day. This means that you need money to buy: almost 9 refugees over 10 years of having contracted debts.
A worrying frontline of crisis, charitable associations, such as the community "Oui pour la Vie", are of extreme importance. Even in recent months, the canteen of Damour has in fact distributed without interruption thousands of meals to Syrian refugees, Iraqis and the Lebanese needy of every origin and belonging. The spirit of the association is that of helping all the poor from their origins and from religion to foster coexistence between different cultures.
This is thanks to the commitment of many volunteers who are often expected to give up their assets and resources.
The first scheduled and hope to be able to see again in Lebanon as soon as possible.
A special thank you as always to all of you!

Links:

• http://aleimar.it/

In a world full of violence, where thousands of families are force to leave their house, their country and the places of their childhood , even when all seems to burn to ash and  the sound of the bombs never goes away, the flame of hope should never die… and you can make the difference!

On the occasion to the World Refugee Day, Aleimar took part to the World Refugee Day Campaign, raising funds and donations for the displaced people of Syria and Lebanon. Thanks to this charitable contribution we’ll be able to finance our projects, continuing our fight against poverty and malnutrition.

Up to now, the project “Meals for all”, has provided balanced meals and food to families residing in the Damour area and the efficiency of the kitchen has largely improved. Despite the difficulties, we are proud of our achievements and we take this opportunity to sincerely thank all our donors.

Unfortunately, due to the more and more dangerous political situation, we are forced to postpone the mission in Lebanon; but we’re not giving up and our volunteers are ready to leave as soon as possible.

Continue to follow the development of our goals on the web site.

We have just started operating four days a week in two new families group. We have also found out the best way to improve the efficiency of the kitchen, without enlarging our kitchen or buying new kitchen tools. This enables us to provide assistance for an increasing number of families. For logistic purposes, we divided the groups according to those able to come and take their meals, and those who are delivered the food (elderly, families that live far from the kitchen and don't have car... ). 

What this project is achieving is more than what we have imagined. We found out that some families share their meals with their neighbors who are also in need, until we manage to include them in our project. Despite the fact that the meal is given according to the number of family members and is sufficient for them for one day, it is extraordinary how solidarity rub off on among people: gift received becomes a new unconditional and gratuitous gift for the neighbor who experiences the same difficulties.

Moreover, there was a refugee family that had difficulties in coming and take their dairy meal, but they didn't tell us, as they feared that we would stop the assistance. We came to know that the man who was coming to pick their meals up on their behalf, was actually a refugee, who volunteered to help the family. This man and his family were also in need but he never requested assistance directly. We found out, in our own way, about his situation and in the last weeks we have included him and his family in our project.

Links:

• Aleimar

According to IPFRI (International Food Policy Research Institute), the Global Hunger Index (GHI) rose from 11.4 in 1994 to 8.1 in 2017 in Lebanon. Although the situation seems improved, there are still many families living in conditions of food insecurity.

For this reasonAleimar continues, together with OUI POUR LA VIE, the fight against poverty and malnutrition in Damour.

Thanks to our OPV collaborators we have provided essential products such as: clothes, sheets, blankets, etc, and we have offered psycho-social assistance to families of residents and refugees.In addition, we continue to provide meals to needy families and in particular to children, which constitute the category of people most exposed to the risk of malnutrition. To ensure a greater nutritional intake we decided to offer four meals a week, that is two more than before.

The situation of the fugitive sirianis in Lebanon is dramatically worsened during the last year. The total number of refugees in this country, recorded and not recorded by the United Nations, is still of 1.5 million around. Against this emergency the number of the helped families is increased and with the beginning of the new year, other beneficiaries will be inserted in the project.

In this way we try to protect not only the right to food but also that of childhood. In this regard, we take this opportunity to thank all our donors who support us and help us in the implementation of this goal.