Weekly devotion: Seeing Others Through God’s Eyes
Special education provision at Al-Kafaàt Foundation
At this difficult time for Lebanon, we pray for our partners at the Al-Kafaàt Foundation. Their mission of inclusion and acceptance for disabled people has repeatedly survived the destruction of war and is continuing to do so.
In Lebanon, children with disabilities face significant barriers to accessing education, and their situation has become even more uncertain and frightening amid the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Al-Kafaàt’s special education centres in Hadath on the southern outskirts of Beirut have incurred severe damage. Thankfully, everyone had already been evacuated, but some staff families have lost their homes. In order to continue their provision for students, the decision was made to relocate all services to the Ain Sadeeh university campus outside of Beirut. The incredible passion, resourcefulness and resilience of the Al-Kafaàt team remains clearly evident as they have renovated and repurposed the university buildings to make them suitable for special education classes and activities and subsidised transportation costs to enable access to the new site. Even with the severe damage to the Hadath site, they were still able to offer some shelter for internally displaced people during the most recent conflict. As they stated in a recent social media post, ‘No matter the war, we never give up.’
This week’s prayer focus, the Notre Dame School, is one part of Al-Kafaàt's wide-ranging work. The school is a rare example of inclusive education in Lebanon, welcoming students aged 3 to 19 with learning difficulties, physical disabilities, and those from unstable family backgrounds. Although the country’s government-funded schools legally have to accept children with additional needs, they lack the resources and specialist staff necessary to provide appropriate support. The Notre Dame School, by contrast, creates a tailored educational plan for each child, enabling them to learn in their own way while being part of a diverse school family.
Today, the challenges facing the students – and the participants at other Al-Kafaàt programmes – are more acute than ever. Yet the Foundation’s centres have been rebuilt many times since they were established in the 1970s, and their continued compassionate service remains the ultimate victory in the face of war.
Bible reading
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
Psalm 139:13-16
Thought
Psalm 139:13-16 is an uplifting reminder that children are lovingly formed by God with intention and care. Children arriving at Al-Kafaàt’s Notre Dame School have often been overlooked and underestimated elsewhere, because of disability or their family situation. Yet at the school, they find acceptance and the chance to flourish. They are wonderfully made, with all their unique needs and talents.
As we pray for the students, families, and staff of Notre Dame, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on our own outlook. Do we truly see others as God does? The beautiful poetry of David’s psalm is a call to accept ourselves and others as God’s children, and to recognise the value he has placed within everyone.
Ask yourself: How could you become more intentional about seeing other people as if through God’s eyes?
Prayer
Father God,
We thank you that every person is fearfully and wonderfully made, known and loved by you from the very beginning. We ask your blessings on the children, families, and staff of the Notre Dame School, and for the other Al-Kafaàt programmes affected by the current conflict. Surround them all with your peace and protection, and let their dedication bring them through a dark time once again.
Amen
SPEAK UP FOR LEBANON
You can write to your MP to alert them to the crisis in Lebanon and Palestine.
Act now to ensure these vulnerable communities receive the protection and attention they urgently need.
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