A fundraising campaign for 9 initiatives covering the most pressing needs in Lebanon (food, healthcare and shelter). A mix of established NGOs and grassroots initiatives. No overhead or admin costs in raising and distributing the funds. Every £ raised is a £ that will make it to one of the 9 beneficiaries. More details below.

The most inspiring phenomenon we have witnessed around the world in recent months is the close collaboration between Lebanese people coming together for a common goal: a better Lebanon.

A few of us here in London heard the same call many did. Since 17/10, what was once a group of complete strangers has been meeting every weekend, and has now grown into an effective team. Our engagement has yielded awareness and educational seminars in partnership with reputable academic institutions in London; produced various educational and motivational videos; and organized a number of fundraising events for Lebanese charities.

Find us on social media under London 4 Lebanon (Facebook) and @meghterbin.mejtemiin.ldn (Instagram) for more details on who we are and what we have organised to date.

Today, we are capitalizing on a network that we grew within the UK, with other diaspora centres, and on the ground in Lebanon to launch an online fundraiser campaign benefiting 9 organisations. We spent a considerable amount of time selecting organisations that are:

1. A healthy mix of established NGOs and grassroots initiatives;

2. Proportionally representative of the various needs in areas across Lebanon;

3. Trusted for their ability to serve the needs of the community in an inclusive and transparent way.

We recognize that the Lebanese in the diaspora are keen to offer help and support to Lebanon, hope that our transparent process will encourage you all to donate, knowing that your money will be well spent. Your generous contributions will be allocated to the following initiatives.

Food Relief

* Food Blessed: A local hunger-relief initiative that works with businesses and civil society to reduce the number of people going hungry in Lebanon and address the growing problem of food waste in Lebanon. They distribute free meals and Food Assistance Packages to those in need. Each food assistance package costs around £24 and is enough to feed a family of 2 or 3 for a month. Contact person: Maya Terro

* Lebanese Food Bank: Provides food on a daily basis to families and individuals in need across Lebanon mainly through the collection of surplus food from partner restaurants, hotels, caterers, supermarkets and fruit and vegetables, food exporters/importers. They provide food to a selected number of more than 70 Lebanese NGOs active in a variety of fields. In the current crisis, the Lebanese Food Bank are putting together packages of basic food needs including rice, oil, flour, tea, milk, among other items. Every 20 GBP buys one package. Contact person: Kamal Sinno

* Sanabel An Nour: Helps vulnerable people including children and elderly. With the deterioration in the situation and many people losing their jobs, many families have dropped below the poverty line and cannot afford basic needs such as rice, oil and flour. They are reaching out to the families in need in Tripoli and providing them with food packages. Each package prepared costs £20 and can last a family for one week. Contact person: Nora Khawaja

Healthcare Support

* Lebanon Needs: A grassroots organization recently focused on helping with access to medicine, encourage locally-produced medication, setting up mobile clinics to reach patients in remote areas who do not have proper access to health care and dispensaries for medicine. Lebanon Needs have developed a system through which they receive requests from individuals needing medicine, assess the needs, search for alternative generic medication made in Lebanon - where possible - with the help of doctors and pharmacists, provide funds to local pharmacies and direct individuals towards the pharmacies to pick up their medication. Covering Tripoli, Saida, Chtaura, Jdeideh, Zahle, Furn El Chebbek among others. The needs of each individual range between approximately £10 to £200. Contact persons: Nour Najem, Christina Nakhle, Dana Naja, Sally Chamas

* SESOBEL: Supports yearly more than 1400 children suffering from intellectual and/or motor disabilities or from autism, in terms of medical, social, educational, rehabilitation, and human assistance. They support children from every region in Lebanon and abroad regardless of community, religion or ethnic backgrounds. 81% of the children and youth served by SESOBEL come from families, living in very tough conditions which become even worse with a child with disabilities. SESOBEL has recently struggled to generate enough funds in light of a default in payment by the Lebanese Government. Every £500 can help SESOBEL cover part of the medicine needed for around 50 children with disabilities. Contact person: Maria Bou Saada

* Happy Child Institute: An educational institution that rehabilitates children and helps them grow the necessary skills to live independently. They currently cover 62 children with special needs, by working on discovering and developing their physical, psychological, mental, social and occupational capabilities. They are solely funded by the ministry of social affairs. Under the present circumstances in the country, and due to lack of funding, they have had to stop all therapeutic services. Every £250 donated to Happy Child will support 1 child over one month with therapeutic services, food, heating, and medicine. Contact person: Jouhaina Rachid Naser

Suicide Prevention

* Embrace: Embrace is a non-profit organization (NGO) which works to better inform the community about mental illness, break the stigma, provide support to those affected, and help foster a resilient and emotionally healthy community which cares for the mental wellbeing of its young and old. Embrace’s largest accomplishment to date is the Embrace Lifeline (1564) – the national emotional support and suicide prevention helpline in Lebanon. Through continued funds they are aiming to continue covering the costs of phone calls through their helpline, and not pass them onto callers.

Financial Support

* Themarona: Themarona is an educational association that currently looks after 80 children with special needs between the ages of 5 to 15, whose families cannot afford the expenses of specialised schools. 30 children under the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Affairs, which has defaulted in paying their financial dues for a full school year; and another 10 children that are looked after by the Association who covers all their expenses (books, therapeutic services, food, heating etc.). Themarona is currently struggling to support all these children who require special care throughout the year. Every £250 can help Themarona cover the heating expenses of 40 children and therapeutic services for 1 child per month. Contact person: Amal Moghrabe Halabi

* Bedayati x Tahaddi: ​Since October, thousands of Lebanese have been subject to dismissals or a reduction in their monthly wages or working hours. In the absence of social protection measures to support the most vulnerable, Lebanese employees who were earning the minimum wage are at risk of falling into poverty. Bedayati will be working with Tahaddi Lebanon a locally registered Lebanese NGO since 2008 (Registration #1578), which provides non-formal education, health and psychosocial support to those struggling with extreme poverty in the informal settlement of Hay el Gharbeh (Beirut). They will be launching a three-month Emergency Solidarity Fund for the most vulnerable Lebanese who are at risk of falling into poverty if they do not receive their monthly wages. This Emergency Fund will cover 30% of the minimum wage, which amounts to LL202,500 per month, for 3 months/person, so a total of LL607,500 per person. Those who benefit will also receive advisory employment support. Contact person: Karim Chedid and Ghia Osseiran

Your generous contributions will be allocated to the pool of NGOs listed above based on the pressing and rapidly changing needs on the ground. All decisions will be communicated to you transparently and thoroughly, ensuring that your funds are channeled exactly where they ought to be.

This fundraiser has been put together by the London for Lebanon Team:

Diana Abbas, Sadir Abdul Hadi, Lucien George, Sybille George, Danny Hakim, Farid Habib, Maya Hodroj, Mayssa Kanaan, Rami Kanaan, Mohammad Kantar, Raya Khayat, Nisrine Jaafar, Bilal Malaeb, Farah Meroue, Myriam Naufal, Nader Noueiri, Sevine Sabbah, Elissa Sebaaly, Christina Teokari, Dana Trometer, Yasmina Yehia, Gerard Zouein

Email us on lebaneseinlondon@gmail.com for more details.