Apple Harvest
Fall apple harvest on the farm.
Fall apple harvest on the farm.
Fall apple harvest on the farm.
STORIES
Trauma Healing Group Quote
I am a person who brings light to those around me, and the trauma healing course is helping me bring that back to the front of my personality. –…
I am a person who brings light to those around me, and the trauma healing course is helping me bring that back to the front of my personality. – Hana
I am a person who brings light to those around me, and the trauma healing course is helping me bring that back to the front of my personality.
– Hana
Testimony From A Teacher
I came to Lebanon after a long journey of exhaustion and fear. It was a harsh journey in every sense of the word. After these tragic events that my family…
I came to Lebanon after a long journey of exhaustion and fear. It was a harsh journey in every sense of the word. After these tragic events that my family and I went through, I became a different person, with a dark view of life and people. I was searching for the sense of safety that I had lost, and…
I came to Lebanon after a long journey of exhaustion and
fear. It was a harsh journey in every sense of the word.
After these tragic events that my family and I went through,
I became a different person, with a dark view of life and
people. I was searching for the sense of safety that I had
lost, and the hardest part was pretending to be strong in
front of my children amidst the darkness.
I got the opportunity to teach at Hope learning center. I will
never forget my first day there — it was a small and
modest school. There, I found kindness, love, safety, and
peace. During my years of education, I learned resilience,
forgiveness, and empathy. I developed new traits, including
self-reflection and awareness of my actions and behaviors
so I could learn from my mistakes — especially toward the
students and others. This quality helped me better control
my behavior. I always try to instill hope and optimism in
my students and give them love and safety.
What brings me the most joy is seeing the psychological
improvement in my students’ lives and their ability to
overcome their emotional struggles.
At Hope learning center, we are all one family. We always
encourage and care for one another. Thank you from the
bottom of my heart to the center, which changed the lives
of many students and teachers for the better.
– Teacher A
Young Men’s Fitness Program
What does encouragement look like across cultures? We learned about this while running a fitness program with a handful of young marginalized men that focused on ‘whole self’ wellness –…
What does encouragement look like across cultures? We learned about this while running a fitness program with a handful of young marginalized men that focused on ‘whole self’ wellness – body, mind, and spirit. We did this through skills-based workouts and also asking the attendees questions to prompt them to reflect on the good and hard of their lives. We…
What does encouragement look like across cultures? We learned about this while running a fitness program with a handful of young marginalized men that focused on ‘whole self’ wellness – body, mind, and spirit. We did this through skills-based workouts and also asking the attendees questions to prompt them to reflect on the good and hard of their lives. We would also share stories to challenge them to live a new kind of life that cuts across negative cultural norms in order to bring goodness to their lives and communities.
One evening, the story focused on encouragement. We were sharing with the group about how encouragement involved using words to ‘build up’ those around you by pointing out positive qualities and actions they saw in each other. Some of the young men shared that encouragement in their community looked like this: when someone approaches you with a challenge in their lives, you share with them an even harder challenge so that they will feel less bad about their own life!
We felt a bit discouraged, unsure if any of the lessons were actually making an impact, when one of the young men said, “why don’t we go around and share some positive encouragement to each other right now?” So we did just that – we went around and said something affirming to each person in the group. It was a powerful moment showing that the small seeds of holistic development were beginning to grow little by little.
Social Entrepreneurship Training
Cedars Network members had the opportunity to lead 9 young men and women through a four month social entrepreneurship training program. Previous to this training, the students were all trained…
Cedars Network members had the opportunity to lead 9 young men and women through a four month social entrepreneurship training program. Previous to this training, the students were all trained through a partner organization in skills such as woodworking and tailoring clothes. Our members brought in principles for whole-person development, inviting the students to reflect on ways their community could…
Cedars Network members had the opportunity to lead 9 young men and women through a four month social entrepreneurship training program. Previous to this training, the students were all trained through a partner organization in skills such as woodworking and tailoring clothes.
Our members brought in principles for whole-person development, inviting the students to reflect on ways their community could benefit from their projects and not primarily on how much money they can profit. Each week, they would learn a principle and by the end of the training they had to complete a community survey to discover if any of their project ideas were viable.
One of the students had the idea of making his own clothes and selling them. We helped him price out how much the materials would cost and set a price for his labor. He quickly saw as he was conducting his community survey that his idea was not viable because there were already clothes available for a much cheaper price in the community.
In the end, the students finished the training with a celebration where they offered their finished products to the community to both show them off and attempt to sell them. These young men and women grew in budgeting skills, community-development thinking, and how to dream up new ideas when their initial ideas did not work out. They discovered a new, counter-cultural way of approaching business that could spread goodness throughout their communities one sale at a time.
Basketball Training Program
Cedars Network members ran a basketball holistic development training program for 50 boys and girls in partnership with a local organization. Their aim was more than just learning to dribble,…
Cedars Network members ran a basketball holistic development training program for 50 boys and girls in partnership with a local organization. Their aim was more than just learning to dribble, pass, shoot, and defend- it was to learn how to develop a higher level of self-dignity and to see this goodness spread from the boys and girls to their communities.…
Cedars Network members ran a basketball holistic development training program for 50 boys and girls in partnership with a local organization. Their aim was more than just learning to dribble, pass, shoot, and defend- it was to learn how to develop a higher level of self-dignity and to see this goodness spread from the boys and girls to their communities.
Each training included warm-ups and skills drills but also reflective questions such as, ‘what are you thankful for this week?’ and ‘what has been hard for you this week?’ This helped them grow in perspective. Each training also included a short story to help the students grow as people both in and outside of sports. The themes of these stories included the power of encouragement, teamwork, and gratitude.
Although these boys and girls face challenging environments, the skills they are gaining through the local organization and the basketball training are better preparing them to face these hardships with hope, joy, and belief.
Discovering Freedom from Nightmares
Ruby* is a sweet 5-year-old girl who was afflicted with nightmares and was afraid of almost everyone around her. She was very timid and frequently wet the bed. The fear…
Ruby* is a sweet 5-year-old girl who was afflicted with nightmares and was afraid of almost everyone around her. She was very timid and frequently wet the bed. The fear that gripped Ruby so tightly led her mother to ask the health team for help. Since safe spaces are paramount in fostering healing, the team empowered Ruby to choose who…
Ruby* is a sweet 5-year-old girl who was afflicted with nightmares and was afraid of almost everyone around her. She was very timid and frequently wet the bed. The fear that gripped Ruby so tightly led her mother to ask the health team for help. Since safe spaces are paramount in fostering healing, the team empowered Ruby to choose who she wanted to be present during their times together so she could express what she felt and experienced without fear of judgement, ridicule, or disbelief. She chose her mother, sister and cousin.
Our health team facilitated an exercise where she drew the story of her nightmare. We then encouraged her to think about how she would have liked the dream to end. After brainstorming, Ruby drew her dream with the newly crafted ending that made her feel at peace. By bringing her fear into the light and claiming ownership over how she wanted the story to go, the nightmare lost its power over her. The nightmares and bed wetting stopped and she transformed into a smiling, friendly little girl with a slew of resiliency tools to help her overcome whatever life throws at her!
*Name changed for privacy
Collaborating to restore a widow’s health
At Cedars Network, one of the ways we aim to collaborate with marginalized peoples as they pursue restored communities is through our health, education, and livelihood projects working together. Um…
At Cedars Network, one of the ways we aim to collaborate with marginalized peoples as they pursue restored communities is through our health, education, and livelihood projects working together. Um Waliid is a young widow in the camp settlement where we run our projects. She is one of forty-five widows in the settlement who care for their families by themselves.…
At Cedars Network, one of the ways we aim to collaborate with marginalized peoples as they pursue restored communities is through our health, education, and livelihood projects working together.
Um Waliid is a young widow in the camp settlement where we run our projects. She is one of forty-five widows in the settlement who care for their families by themselves. Culturally, the other men from Um Waliid’s extended family should help her care for her kids, but in the current environment they’re not even able to take care of their own families. The men around her came to us and asked if we could help provide for her and the other widows in her community.
As our camp school reopened following the Covid quarantine, our education project needed to institute new levels of sanitation and cleaning and we were able to give Um Waliid the opportunity to serve at the center. She works afternoons and weekends harvesting potatoes to make ends meet.
Recently while harvesting potatoes, she was accidentally shot in the leg by a neighboring shepherd! We were able to help with her initial hospital bills through our emergency relief fund that is funded by generous partners like you. Additionally, our health team is reaching out to her, offering help with her wound care, medical follow up, and trauma care from the incident to make sure our friend and colleague is restored and able to continue to provide for her family.
“My family is happy again.”
Living among the beautiful mountains of the Middle East, Abu Hamed is a middle-aged man caught in a difficult situation. He has had to flee his country due to war…
Living among the beautiful mountains of the Middle East, Abu Hamed is a middle-aged man caught in a difficult situation. He has had to flee his country due to war and his family can only eat if he finds work in a neighboring country. Some weeks, he will get one day of work out of ten, which causes his family…
Living among the beautiful mountains of the Middle East, Abu Hamed is a middle-aged man caught in a difficult situation. He has had to flee his country due to war and his family can only eat if he finds work in a neighboring country. Some weeks, he will get one day of work out of ten, which causes his family to be without food and drink for a long time!
One day, some of our Network visited his camp wanting to help those in need. One of those visiting was one of our local partners, Abu Jaafer, who met Abu Hamed and shared with him that he is loved and that Cedars Network wants to help people like his family. When Abu Hamed heard from Abu Jaafer that his family could receive a food voucher that could be redeemed for food at a local supermarket, providing his family with enough food to feed them for a few weeks, he was elated! He could provide for his family! His life was changed.
He would later share with Abu Jaafer, “This food voucher gave me new life. The kids were falling asleep hungry. My wife was falling asleep weeping. Now they are happy again.”
“I’m not rich, but my family has food.”
When Abu Jaafer, one of our local collaborators, was visiting a local group of refugee families to learn more about the challenges they are facing, he encountered Abu Hussein. Through…
When Abu Jaafer, one of our local collaborators, was visiting a local group of refugee families to learn more about the challenges they are facing, he encountered Abu Hussein. Through brief conversation, he learned that Abu Hussein has kids attending Hope Learning Center (one of our learning centers). He shared about how cold the winter gets where they live and…
When Abu Jaafer, one of our local collaborators, was visiting a local group of refugee families to learn more about the challenges they are facing, he encountered Abu Hussein. Through brief conversation, he learned that Abu Hussein has kids attending Hope Learning Center (one of our learning centers). He shared about how cold the winter gets where they live and how it’s hard to earn money for his family. Abu Jaafer shared with him that Cedars Network can provide help for him in the form of a food voucher and Abu Hussein started to laugh with joy!
A few months after using the voucher to purchase food for his family, Abu Hussein invited Abu Jaafer into his home. He greeted him by saying, “I’m not very rich, but my family has food. Life is hard here, but our lives have been changed because of the food vouchers.”
Create Opportunities for Syrian Kids
Are you ready to open up future opportunities for Syrian refugee kids? We’re really excited to be opening up a class dedicated to preparing our students for the important ninth-grade…
Are you ready to open up future opportunities for Syrian refugee kids? We’re really excited to be opening up a class dedicated to preparing our students for the important ninth-grade exam. Passing the ninth-grade exam is similar to earning a high school diploma for Syrians. Some students get a job after completing their ninth-grade exam and others go on to…
Are you ready to open up future opportunities for Syrian refugee kids? We’re really excited to be opening up a class dedicated to preparing our students for the important ninth-grade exam. Passing the ninth-grade exam is similar to earning a high school diploma for Syrians. Some students get a job after completing their ninth-grade exam and others go on to study their specific areas of interest. It is a very rigorous exam that requires dedication and study and passing it will open up many more opportunities for their future!
COVID is continuing to disrupt this school year. In spite of this obstacle, we press on in seeking to make this ninth grade exam achievable for our students. We are currently heavily relying on remote learning for this preparatory class, including English lessons, now more important than ever. The English portion of the 9th grade test has recently become more challenging with an emphasis on critical thinking skills instead of just rote memorization.
Other subjects on the exam include Arabic, Math, Science, and Social Studies. One of our teachers, “Ben”, came to us this past summer asking if we could open up this class and expressed his passionate desire to see his students continue in their studies, get their 9th grade degree, and pursue a future career in Syria. He will be teaching this class. The cost for this class for one year is around $3,500, which includes school books, supplies, and teacher’s salary.
War has tried to push down and silence this generation of Syrian children. Join us in collaborating with Syrian educators to provide kids with future opportunities today!
Student Highlight: Areej
When Areej’s homeroom teacher asked me how Areej is in class she was surprised I hadn’t labeled her as one of my troublesome students. I thought, “maybe a little aloof…
When Areej’s homeroom teacher asked me how Areej is in class she was surprised I hadn’t labeled her as one of my troublesome students. I thought, “maybe a little aloof and occasionally gets up from her seat at inappropriate times but overall she didn’t interrupt, walk on the tables, or bother other students”. One day after school I was waiting…
When Areej’s homeroom teacher asked me how Areej is in class she was surprised I hadn’t labeled her as one of my troublesome students. I thought, “maybe a little aloof and occasionally gets up from her seat at inappropriate times but overall she didn’t interrupt, walk on the tables, or bother other students”. One day after school I was waiting for the bus to take me home when Areej skipped by and invited me to her home. I promised that I’d visit the following week.
Kayla and I followed Areej home after school and got to meet her mom, aunts and uncles. During our time together Areej and I demonstrated some of the things she’s learned in English class. I played it safe with words and phrases we use every day like, “stand up, sit down, and shake it out,” which is a little regulation exercise we do before starting the lesson. We also sang a song together that her mom loved and had her sing multiple times so other members of the family could see it and so they could take video.
At that point was when I noticed the Areej was able to sing the song, “cut, cut, cut with scissors…” with little input or support from me, not a true statement for the rest of my class yet. I then took a bit of a risk by pulling out some color cards and having her identity them. I only introduced the colors 2 days before so I was surprised that she was able to produce the new words on her own. It hit me that perhaps she was bored in class and that’s why she seemed aloof or wandered around!
Now knowing that she’s possibly picking up the information quicker than I realize I spend a few moments independently testing her during our individual activity time. This allows me to gauge where she’s at and challenge her with some more advanced material. Areej’s mom told me that everyday Areej studies with a private tutor for a couple hours before coming to school. What a little lover of learning! A great quality to help her achieve her dream of becoming a teacher.