Content warning – If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the friendly team at Embrace by calling 1564.
Among the despair and loss accompanying Lebanon’s numerous crises, a sense of solidarity and unification has managed to work its way out of the shadows just as it is needed the most.
Multiple community sharing platforms have been created within the past year as the result of Lebanese citizens deciding to take matters into their own hands and help their fellow citizens.
These community sharing platforms are innovative, inclusive, and definitely worth checking out.
#1 LibanTROC
LibanTROC is an initiative that was founded by Hala Dahrouge in December of 2019. Dahrouge decided to take action after hearing about multiple cases of suicide resulting from the country’s economic crisis.
She started a Facebook group with the original intent of it being a site for bartering (TROC in French translates to “barter”), a place where people could trade good and services among each other in order to circumvent monetary exchange.
Today, the group has almost 50,000 members on Facebook and has grown and organized its mission.
People use the group to seek employment, advertise small businesses, donate medicine (with the help and approval of doctors in the group), help others pay for rent and food in emergency cases, and of course, barter between one another.
#2 Khayyak
Khayyak (Your Brother) is an app created by young Lebanese architect Mohamed Shkeir.
Shkeir, similar to Dahrouge, sprang into action following the heartbreaking suicides committed by those left severely vulnerable due to Lebanon’s economic crisis.
The app directly connects those who need help with people willing to provide it. After downloading the app, one chooses the option to either request or offer help, explains what they need/what they can offer, and provides basic contact information.
Interested people can then easily contact each other, essentially creating a nationwide individual network for intercommunity aid.
Khayyak can be found on both the App Store and Goggle Play.
#3 Bala Wala Chi
Bala Wala Chi is an NGO with a special, community-based twist. It recently kickstarted a “Quarantine Initiative” in response to the COVID19 crisis.
Through the use of the app toters, one can donate the “The Quarantine Box” to the NGO. 100% of the money is then used to pay suppliers to create boxes with essential food staples and sanitation materials.
The boxes are shipped to Bala Wala Chi’s warehouse for volunteers to deliver them to families in need. The initiative’s goal is to deliver 5,000 food ration and sanitation packages across Lebanon.
Apart from this humanitarian initiative, Bala Wala Chi is special for its focus on creating community bonds and changing people’s perspectives on donating.
Volunteers, whom they nickname ambassadors, are encouraged to visit and get to know recipients to truly understand how to best help.
The NGO has also begun sharing short profiles on Lebanese seeking employment, found on the “Hire Me” highlight on their Instagram page.
#4 Anakamen
Ana Kamen (“Me Too”), created by Light FM, makes it easy for everyone and anyone to find a way to help out within their community.
The site lists multiple Lebanese initiatives, both big and small, arranged by region and type. One can use their filters to find whatever initiative they wish to support, ranging from medical assistance to books, within their specific location.
#5 The Volunteer Circle
Similar to Anakamen, The Volunteer Circle’s aim is to conglomerate different NGOs and initiatives into one user-friendly site.
The platform was created by two young women, Malak Yacout and Nadine Makarem, who wanted to help in their community but found that volunteering in Lebanon was often a confusing and frustrating process.
This innovative platform has spread throughout the region, and now also claims roots in Egypt and Jordan.
Their site lists countless opportunities for one to offer aid, whether that be painting the walls of shelters or advocating against racism, in a simple format that’s engaging and easy to understand.
Using their filters, you can even choose a specific “Good Life Goal” you wish to involve yourself in; ranging from cleaning seas to improving infrastructure.
If you want to help but don’t know how, this is the perfect place to start!
Content warning – If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the friendly team at Embrace by calling 1564.
