How do we keep going in Lebanon?

In this video, our friends and partners at Tahaddi tell us how they cope in the face of the community’s depth of need, and with very limited resources with which to respond. It is a story of resilience, courage and unshakeable faith in the face of extreme adversity.

‘It is no exaggeration to say that this year has changed the world as we knew it in so many ways. For Lebanon, the changes were especially drastic as we battle simultaneous crisis in parallel. Lebanon did not only have to face the COVID-19 pandemic, but is also suffering from one of the worst economic crisis in modern history while still recovering from the aftermath of the August 4th explosion.’

Since late 2019, Lebanon’s financial crisis has caused rapid devaluation of the currency by an estimated 90%, leading to hyperinflation. The cost of basic food items has skyrocketed and increased by up to 400%. An estimated 55% of the population are now living in poverty, with extreme poverty registering a threefold increase, from 8% in 2019 to 23% in 2020. The situation for the poorest families is dire, as public social safety nets are meagre at best.

Tahaddi Lebanon, a Lebanese non-governmental organization located in the informal settlement of Hay EL Gharbeh in Southern Beirut, continues to provide holistic support to families facing extreme economic hardships. In partnership with Embrace, Tahaddi is on the ground serving families that were already desperate. Tahaddi hosts three main centers, the Education Center (TEC), the Health Center (THC), and the Psychosocial Center (PSS). Tahaddi continues providing relief assistance after the crisis, distributing food coupons and/or emergency cash assistance to over 800 families. Since March 2020, the Tahaddi Education Center has moved its classes online. Tahaddi has also been providing health services onsite and online via telemedicine. This is similar to mental health counseling and psychosocial support services, as well.

So, how do Tahaddi staff keep going in the face of so many community needs and limited resources, especially in a time of so many complex stressors?  We asked Tahaddi’s social workers, health workers, educators, and psychologists. Their responses varied, but ultimately led to similar sentiments: We need to be here on the ground, both morally and emotionally, for the community and hence, for ourselves.

Rana Ghosn, Director of the Psychosocial Center at Tahaddi

‘On a personal level, we have also been negatively affected by what Lebanon is going through. Our families have seen a reduction in their real incomes due of the devaluation of the Lira. It was also challenging for our kids to study from home because of COVID. Given all of this, we need to find a sense of balance between our work and our personal lives.

‘How do I manage to keep going? Firstly, I know have work to do, and that we have a responsibility towards the community. I also have a team here that is counting on me. We are not alone in facing all of this, we are trying to find ways to work closely with partner NGOs.

‘We also know that our very presence and a few kind words go a long way in supporting and encouraging the families we work with. We often apologize to our clients that we cannot do more than this, and tell them that we hope that that the situation will improve. This glimmer of hope for better days is what keeps us going. It is this hope that allows us to keep going each day’.

Manar Karout, Senior Social Worker at the Tahaddi Health Center

‘As social workers, it is at moments of crisis like this that we fulfil our true vocations.  It is for moments like this that social workers are needed. We need to stand with our community during these difficult circumstances.

‘On a personal level, it is a considerable challenge to receive so many requests for help and not be able to respond to the extent needed. We try to expand our pool of resources to broaden what we can offer.

‘We cannot give up on the community when they need us the most. At the end of the day, we have worked hard to be beside them. On a day to day basis, we persevere until the last moment to help the community regardless of the fact that the resources are limited; but I think we are doing as much as we can and.. often even more’.

Nadine Zeidan, Psychologist at the Tahaddi Education Center

‘The most important thing is to give our clients the kind of support they need. They are in need of someone to listen to them and to help carry their heavy burdens because they often feel they are alone in carrying this load.  When we remind them that as a society as a whole we are facing these hardships, it provides them with a sense of relief.

‘Like everyone else, I try to focus on helping myself and find time to escape all these stressors and to remind ourselves of the positive aspects of our lives’.

Sahar Abboud, Nurse at the Tahaddi Health Center

‘Tahaddi’s mission is “Challenging poverty” but then you reach a point and you realize the situation keeps getting worse. The life of a nurse is never easy, especially in this neighborhood, and we are working with people in difficult situations.

‘How am I able to go on? Firstly, because our team works as one: We support each other, we think the same, and we are very patient-centered.

‘I also try to work on myself personally.  On weekends, I try and distract myself from my work by doing sports or even reading a book. We cannot afford to go through burnout since people count on us so we really need to keep our composure. We often take our strength from our patients. They need us to be okay as much as possible. When we observe how much they are going through we are reminded we can be strong. For example, if I see a patient who has 10 medical problems and yet is still smiling, I feel like if she can take it, I can take it too’.’