Lebanese-Ukrainian social influencer and activist Oleksandra Zahran, known as Sandra Pollek, teamed up with the Lebanese YouTube channel The World Sucks and went on a social experiment in the streets of Beirut.
Date? The infamous August 4th, exactly 3 hours prior to the explosion in Beirut.
Since the Lebanese are widely known for their hospitality and generosity. Pollek decided to verify, through a social experiment on the ground, how true it is.
Using her Ukrainian language, she took the role of a foreigner looking for directions to downtown Beirut, from fruit carriage merchants.
She went from a street merchant to another, pretending to ask for directions and to then be fascinated by their fruits and wanting to buy some.
At the time of paying for her purchases, she would look into her backpack and apologize for not having money.
But the merchants wouldn’t take the fruits back, insisting she take them. The reactions of all and each of them were practically the same…
Heartwarming scenes that show, in fun moments, the incredible yet typical Lebanese generosity despite the tremendous ongoing financial hardships.
Pollek partner in this experiment, who was filming discreetly, interfered a few times, saying, “You’ll give them away for free? Even though she’s a foreigner?”
Many responded with the typical 3ayb (shame), meaning it’s shamefully unacceptable to refuse what they’re kindly offering or for them to take it back.
And it doesn’t end here.
When the duo revealed their identity at the end of their social experiment, they offered money to each merchant, insisting they take it. Some didn’t even want to!
Needless to point out that, for these Lebanese living on the very little income of their fruits, every Lira counts. And yet, as we’ve just seen, their cultural generosity counts even more.
The assumption that Lebanese take advantage of foreign tourists to make some extra money is therefore here disclaimed, as was previously contradicted by YouTubers visiting Lebanon… without money, in order to “test” the famous Lebanese generosity.
Sandra Pollek, who is also a strong voice for Lebanon on social media, posted now this video on her Instagram to tell the world that the Lebanese are beautiful people who deserve to be saved.
