Following the Beirut Blast
MECC Gives Life Back to the Damaged Small Businesses
Beirut is a “stricken” city. This is what the Lebanon Defense Council declared the day after the Beirut Port disaster which occurred on August 4, 2020. Indeed, Beirut was crying out for help on various humanitarian, material and psychological levels… Emergency was declared in the country, and many associations and organizations have directly started work for the rescue of the Beirut wounded people. In fact, they lost their loved ones and everything they have in a moment.
The Middle East Council of Churches have rapidly launched two relief appeals and began field work in the capital’s neighborhoods, in order to heal the wounds of the Beirutis. The mission of the MECC Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Beirut’s Office, included many types of aids such as distributing food, hygiene, and dignity kits, mattresses, diaper packs, unconditional vouchers, hygiene vouchers, and cash assistance…
In addition, the Diakonia Department launched a program for the rehabilitation of small businesses in Beirut, which witnessed significant damage. Its owners lost their properties and shops, noting they could hardly secure their daily livelihood needs. Therefore, over the past two years, the Diakonia Department has contributed to supporting 72 small businesses by taking in charge of its maintenance and renovation works. Hence, these small enterprises came back to life and its owners have restored their businesses and source of income.
Moreover, the department is still working to this day to purchase the necessary products and equipment to these small companies aiming at facilitating the workflow. Thus, the businesses supported by the program were barber shops, women hairdresser, beauty salon, laundry, mechanics, tailors, icon shop, linen shop, mobile services shop, minimarkets, plumbers, electricians, carpenter, homemade goods, and taxi drivers.
These small businesses carry many stories... Painful stories emanating from burning hearts that have not been healed until today. The owners of these businesses had many dreams and yearn to live in peace and security. However, the August 4 disaster destroyed all their hopes and dreams. Two years after the tragedy, we share with you some of these stories that may spread a renewed hope.
Never Give Up
Jack Sipilian is 31 years old and married with 2 kids. Jack is a gym owner and trainer, and is also an employee in the fire fighter brigade which lost 10 of its members. Sipilian lives in the Bourj Hammoud region, which suffers from severe poverty and decaying infrastructure, and from theft and use of drugs... Its inhabitants suffer, in turn, from continuous psychological pain due to the difficult living conditions they are going through, which has forced many into negative coping mechanisms.
In a discussion with Jack, he told us that he had on dream, to open his own gym that can get kids off the street and away from the danger of drugs. So, “I worked two jobs, one as a firefighter and the second as a martial arts trainer, to raise enough money to afford opening a gym. With efforts and hard work I was able to do so despite the difficult economic conditions.”
However, the Beirut Blast destroyed Jack's dream, as his gym was severely damaged. He added, "I was ready to give up when different organizations refused to help me, even the landowner refused to make the necessary repairs.” But Jack was influenced by one of his students, who urged him to never give up and not to give up on his ambitions. So Sipilian tried to regain motivation to save his dream. Until the Middle East Council of Churches and the Polish Organization “Domus Orientalis” intervened to help him. Thus, Jack was able to restore his gym, especially after receiving new gym equipment from MECC.
Renewed Faith in God
Claude Abi Abdallah is 63 years old and the mother of two married children. Claude owns a shop in the Ashrafieh area, which constitutes a source of income for her and her husband, through selling all sorts of simple trinkets and accessories that can be bought at little as one dollar, not to mention her good reception and smile that never leaves her face.
Yet the whole scene changed on August 4, when the shop sustained several damages after the glass from the shopfront proliferated into the inside. Claude recalled the first moments of terror, "I was working in the back of the store. I’d say it was a miracle. If it weren’t for the bible she placed on the desk at the front and God watching over me, I would have been cut to pieces.”
It is true that Claude was saved from death, but she suffered from psychological wounds and several problems. How is she going to get by with her source of income damaged? Especially since her husband is unemployed and is unable to work due to health issues and various surgeries that have compromised his ability to function. This is in addition that her house was also severely damaged, forcing her to relocate to one of her daughters’ house.
From its end, the Middle East Council of Churches knew Claude’s plight and studied her case. Then, MECC decided to help her by purchasing for her a power station to cope with electricity cuts, and new merchandise to replace all that has been lost. After getting life back to her store, Claude placed an icon of Jesus Christ as a sign of renewed faith in God.
God Is Always with Us
Kevork Minassian is 38 years old and a Garage Owner in the Mar Mikhael area. The blast destroyed the inside of his shop which lost equipment that enable Kevork to serve customers. Also, the garage had no more barrier to prevent theft.
What made matters worse is that Kevork was financially drained, especially after he finished healing from a terrible accident. With great difficulty due to his physical injuries and limited capabilities, Minassian tried to restore his shop, noting that he could hardly provide food for his newborn son.
The Middle East Council of Churches knew the tragedy that Kevork passed through, and after an assessment of his case, the Council helped him through providing the necessary equipment so he can be able to receive customers again. He said, "The Beirut Blast destroyed me emotionally. Without the MECC support, what would I be able to do? The Middle East Council of Churches made me believe that God is always with us and protects us."
New Life
Noha Ghassan Lala is 47 years old, and was one of the victims of the August 4 Blast. Noha owns an icons shop in the Achrafieh area. We listened to her story and accompanied her while she was finishing an errand regarding an icon of St. Augustine for one of her clients.
She recalled her story, "when the Blast occurred, I lost my balance, hit my face in the wall and my nose started bleeding. I rushed to my shop store and discovered that it was half-destroyed. Afterwards, I went on to check on my mother where a closet had fallen on top of her thus paralyzing her. My brother was permanently injured while trying to lift the closet of our mother. As for my father, he was outside his own barber shop, lying on the ground after sustaining a spine injury.”
Noha's shop is back to business through the help of the Middle East Council of Churches, which contributed to the renovation of the store and buying her new icons. She said, " I am eternally grateful for the MECC support, especially since it was the only entity that helped me."
Finally, it is worth mentioning that over the past two years, the Middle East Council of Churches, in cooperation with international humanitarian and partner organizations, has been able to assist 43880 affected people, at different levels, and according to the urgent needs. Noting that MECC continues to this day the support of the neediest groups in order to spread hope in their hearts and strengthen their faith that the will to live is the strongest.
Communication and Public Relations Department