I used to work near here on an archeological site, helping with the digging and excavation, so I used to pass these steps every day.
When I was in Syria, at one point we had to dig out a cave, because our house was in a bad situation, and my mum wasn’t feeling well. She needed a safe place where she could stay because she couldn’t move, and once my dad was shot at. Many people came to the cave to take shelter so we needed a place that could offer protection to a lot of people.
So we made the cave. When we were doing that, I liked how you put the stones in place next to each other, and their colours.
What I liked about working on the archeological site here in Beirut was that it reminded me of that and made me see that every single stone is different — in Syria and here too.
We were unearthing Roman and Ottoman ruins here. The company is still excavating there but I stopped working because I wanted to study.
Ibo is being supported by Christian Aid. Our local partner Mouvement Social provides a safe space for Syrian refugee and Lebanese children — many of whom are unable to access state-school education. As well as ensuring their wellbeing and protection, they give children like Ibo access to recreational, educational, social and psychological support. To donate to our Syria Crisis Appeal and to support vital work like this, please visit our website.
