Just before Christmas 2023, I (Mirjam) came across a family in Bourj Hammoud, a poor neighborhood in Beirut, where predominantly Lebanese people of Armenian background live. After sitting on the couch for half an hour, I began to feel cold. Also, it was dark in the little apartment. The generator was not plugged in. In the adjacent bedroom, water dripped from the ceiling, right onto a mattress. I was told that a year before, the father of the family had died of a heart attack. Probably because of financial stress. Two crying girls sat on either side, their heads on my shoulders. I had no words. They told me they were eating rice and Lebanese flatbread with some simple toppings. Fruits and vegetables had become too expensive.
A few days after that, I was able to make them happy with a food box, cleaning supplies, clothes and an electricity meter so the generator could be connected. Light was breaking through again. I won’t soon forget the smile on their faces.
The next goal for this family is to seal the ceiling roof so they will have a leak-free winter (cost: about $300).