In the refugee camps in Arsal there is a new initiative to bring books to children living in the camps there. We travelled to the region in October 2021 and met a number of especially bright children who weren’t able to attend school for various reasons. One of the children a boy named Khaled Al-Khatib whose mother was killed in Syria and now he lives with his father and five older siblings in a tent. His father was left with severe PTSD from the war in Syria which resulted in his losing his memory, and he struggles to take care of his son. We asked whether there was anything we could bring him. His answer; a storybook. We searched Arsal, thinking that a book would be something relatively easy to find, but that ended up being almost impossible. We spent three days looking for an appropriate book in Arsal and could not find one. This was why the idea of a children’s library was born.
Through the magic of literature, pictures, reading, listening and sharing stories, 'More Than A Library' provides a window into a world of creativity and imagination. It is also an opportunity to socialise in a safe and monitored setting - so vital in the bleak environment they currently find themselves in.
The books are bought in Beirut from a wonderful small independent bookshop, and a donation of books in English has also been delivered. We currently have five library leaders who each live in a different camp and have a fifth of the library with which to run a book club. A years salary for one book leader is $600 ($50 per month) and it is hoped that we can recruit more library leaders as we increase the number of books through donations and purchases.
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