In Lebanon, protesters fight despair with fellowship – By Sarah El Deeb (Associated Press) / Dec 25 2019
As Lebanon protests against corruption drag on, people are coming together across sectarian lines to support one another and keep the movement alive.
Panic set in on a WhatsApp group used to organize Lebanese protests when one member said he intended to kill himself because he can’t provide for his kids.
The desperate call came on the heels of the suicide of a father of two that had stunned the public and raised alarm over how dire Lebanon’s economic conditions have become.
So Mohamed Shkeir, one of dozens of members in the group, sprang into action. The architect student along with friends launched a campaign appealing for donations — for the man and for others’ suffering. They posted an ad on social media and, to show transparency, created a spreadsheet to track the money.
As Lebanon’s protest movement enters its third month, the economic pinch is hurting everyone. Layoffs are increasing, salary cuts are the norm, banks are capping withdrawals, and prices are quickly rising. With politicians failing to chart a way out, Lebanese are resorting to what they’ve done in previous wars and crises: they rely on each other, not the state.
“We got to a situation where people are not able to buy food for their kids or pay their rent,” Mr. Shkeir said.
Mr. Shkeir and his group were able to convince the despondent friend not to kill himself, though he refused to take any donations. The group then continued its campaign, giving money, food, clothes, and supplies to 58 families so far this month, including one family using candles because they can’t afford electricity.
Continue to article: https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2019/1225/In-Lebanon-protesters-fight-despair-with-fellowship
Maya Alleruzzo/AP A boy eats with his brother and father at a public Christmas dinner in Martyrs Square, where anti-government activists are encamped in Beirut, Lebanon, on Monday.
