Life in Lebanon is very difficult but despite this in this camp we pull together, everyone helps each other. Everyone shares the difficulties and the task of helping those who are weak and need help.
We always try to forget our ongoing tragedies and leave behind the bitterness of our lives. This is why we would have dance parties from time to time. I remember my sister’s wedding; she married a Lebanese and would receive Lebanese citizenship; this was something very nice and it made me very happy.
Despite everything we suffer from in this camp, I feel very happy because I’ve met a number of people here who have entered my heart. I’m very happy about my relationships with them.
I hope that I can return to my studies, like I was in my beloved Syria. Thank you to all of you.
Asmaa Mohammad al-Karim
al-Marj, central Bekaa
I came to Lebanon last year and everything was turned upside down. Nothing here is like in my country, Syria, where my life was much better. Nothing has changed this feeling for me since my arrival in this camp. It’s the same feeling that children have here, naturally. They’ve been deprived of going to school and learning, and the pleasures of life.
The days are harsh, especially with the bitterly-cold weather in a place that’s not equipped to withstand the winter, the rain and the snow which is falling heavily. We had it tough, my family and I, made up of ten children, because there isn’t enough heating or clothing or any other means to keep warm.
We’re in dire need of the simplest requirements of life..
These are certainly the most difficult days of my life. But on the other hand, I should point out that there are some positive aspects here, which are the primary reason that we’ve been able to survive. If not for some good Samaritans in this area, and the diverse types of assistance that we receive from associations, I don’t know what would have happened to us.
Abdo Jassem al-Khalaf,
Jub Jennin, western Bekaa
We came to Lebanon in 2013, fleeing from the war in our beloved country, and from the destruction that was experienced by most parts of Syria.
The positive thing in this camp is the feeling of safety and security, which we lacked, and this is something very good.
We met new people here; they are good people and I have come to like them very much. Our relations are so close that I feel like we’re part of the same family.
My father is the “head man” of the camp, which makes me very happy and proud, since he helps out the new arrivals and tries to secure their basic needs (tents, blankets, clothes and some food), naturally, to the best of his ability.
I’m happy because I help him in this noble work.
Despite all of the poor conditions, some positive things have happened, such as working in agriculture in the Bekaa Valley, to earn an “honest living” for me and my family under the difficult conditions that everyone is facing, and especially with the rise in the number of refugees. In addition, I’ve met a number of Lebanese and I’ve spent some of the best times with them.
I’d also like to point out some negative things, however, which refugees complain about. For example, there’s the residency permit given to us by General Security. It requires us to pay a fee of LL 300,000 every month, not to mention the paperwork to get the permit and the required waiting in line for long periods of time – sometimes two days in front of General Security to get the paperwork done, because it’s so crowded.
But, to be honest, we’ve been treated well by the Lebanese, even though they’re in dire straits because of their own fundamental problems.
Abdullah Shalash, Jub Jennin, western Bekaa
Visual Artwork by: Amal Kaawash