Save engineers-to-be, most students cringe at the thought of work during the summer – only picturesque dreams of hot days on the beach, late nights by the sea, Euro trips and Almaza come to mind. Fair enough, you deserve a break. But, reality check – summer is pretty darn long. And honestly, wouldn’t you much rather be productive for at least a half of the summer?
There is where volunteering comes into the picture – hands-down, the best thing you could do this summer would be to give your time to bettering your country and helping people and animals in need. For those of you who want to get down with it, here’s a guide to your best options.
The good thing about the Lebanese Red Cross is there are several departments to choose from – local committees, First Aid, activism, and the youth department. Volunteering with them requires dedication and selflessness, because some of the departments, such as the emergency services, demand that you learn how to respond to quickly to distressing situations.
Lebanese Red Cross Kantari Tel.: 140 Tel.: +9611372803 Tel.: +9611372802
Foodblessed
Foodblessed is a non-profit dedicated to eradicating poverty throughout Lebanon by bringing a bunch of people to feed the hungry “one meal at a time.” They recover surplus food from events and organize fundraiser events to raise money, all the while keeping the ambiance light and joyful.
This bunch of good ol’ folks meets together on Thursdays at the Franciscan school from 10:40 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or on Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Join them for two hours a week to cook together and distribute food to those in need.
To find out how you can get involved with Foodblessed, click here.
Since 1993, the United Nations Volunteers Program has been expanding and now has various volunteering options for students (bonus: you get paid for some!).
UNRWA, for instance, provides volunteering options for capable students to teach refugee children in the different camps across Lebanon. Additionally, for students willing to intern for over a month, the UNDP offers internships dedicated to promoting development, peace and conflict resolution.
Give up two to four hours of your week to give company to children with cancer at St. Jude’s hospital. Draw, dance, paint and laugh with them – add color to their lives (they sure will add color to yours as well). You can also organize activities for the patients, and volunteer with the administration.
Nasma Learning and Resource Center (Image via Facebook)
Teach underprivileged children from public schools math, science, Arabic, English and the arts. The children at Nasma Center are lovely, motivated and ready to learn (and very, very loud). Come up with games for them to play, work up their imagination and creativity, and go on trips around Lebanon with them. To learn more, Nasma Learning and Resource Center Sadat Street Hamra Tel.:+9611749163
Since 2012, Basmeh and Zeitooneh have been dedicated to making lives better for Syrian refugees suffering in Lebanon. They have developed programs in partnership with different local NGOs and are located in Shatila, Burj Al Barajneh and the Bekaa Valley. You can volunteer with Basmeh and Zeitooneh to help them in their different projects which include female empowerment and refugee support through regular visits to the camps.
The DRC also focuses on aiding Syrian refugees through visiting their homes, distributing food and helping families reconstruct their houses. Piece of advice: they don’t respond to emails. Be assertive and visit their office in Achrafieh to plead for a spot. It’s worth it.
The Danish Refugee Council 140 Freiha Building, facing Saint Demetrius Church, 9th floor Mar Mitr Street, Achrafieh Tel.: +9611339052 or +9611339053
This is one more project dedicated to alleviating the suffering of Syrian refugees. For the months of June to September, this NGO will be working with volunteers that are dedicated to teaching refugee children, peace building, bridging disconnections between different religious and political groups through various activities, and exploring Lebanon with refugee families.
Animals Lebanon is a flexible volunteering opportunity that you can take on all year if you have a passion for animal rights. You can help this organization through animals transport in times of emergency or you can work with the team to raise awareness.
AIESEC is a global youth program, situated in 124 countries all over the world, which provides hundreds of volunteering opportunities both locally and globally. On the local level, you can help by assisting incoming volunteers by facilitating their projects, helping them find a house, and taking them around Lebanon.
Additionally, you can use AIESEC as a means to volunteer in Laos, Sri Lanka, India, Ghana, Cameroon, Slovenia, Brazil, China and many other countries. There are diverse volunteering projects that you can take your pick from – and each one is definitely a life-changing, eye-opening experience.
To read stories of Lebanese students that volunteered outside of their countries, click here. And to one of their programs.
