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The Lebanese Board on Books for Young People (LBBY) is currently working on a relief project to support displaced Lebanese children and refugee children from Palestine and Syria, in collaboration with Book Aid International, caused by the bombings and destruction in southern Lebanon and Gaza.
Training sessions, conducted for approximately 180 volunteers, focused on storytelling techniques, the principles of bibliotherapy, and addressing the impact of war and displacement on children, with the support of professional psychologists and educators. Out of the trained volunteers, 130 university students, mostly specializing in psychology and social work, have expressed their interest in participating. We are in the process of preparing 130 packages, each containing the following:
Additionally, a summary of the online training will be shared by the volunteers to guide their activities. We have also created a WhatsApp group to facilitate communication and collaboration among the team members as we move forward. Currently, we are finalizing the packaging of these items into boxes. Once ready, we will distribute them either through couriers or by delivery personnel, depending on the logistics in each area. In a time when many feel helpless, providing tools and small-scale training can enable volunteers to support the children in their own communities. We made sure to follow the social work principles of empowerment, focusing on the strengths and resilience of our communities. Due to the current crisis, local publishers, despite being closed, have kindly opened their doors to allow us to collect the necessary books. For safety reasons, each volunteer will be assigned to work at locations near their homes, as it is too dangerous to travel. Assabil, an NGO dedicated to promoting reading, is also sending four professional storytellers to conduct activities with the children. These storytellers will train our volunteers in Beirut before heading out to work alongside them. While the budget provided by Book Aid International is helpful, we desperately need additional funding to expand our reach and serve more children. Despite the war and bombings, LBBY remains committed to helping as many children as possible under these difficult conditions, leveraging the power of community to provide hope and support. Contributions are greatly appreciated for our children in crisis in Lebanon! To: The IBBY Members Cc. IBBY Executive Committee Children-in-Crisis Fund: Call for support Crisis relief through books in Lebanon Dear IBBY Members, dear Friends, I write to you with deep concern and a feeling of great emergency. These past couple of years, all of us have watched with bated breath the horrors of war, as the children of the world have suffered the untold misery of terror, destruction, and death. It has been IBBY’s tradition to rally around its own when trouble calls. It is now time to rally around Lebanon, where, in just a few days, nearly one million people were forced to leave their homes and their lives behind them. Our colleagues of the Lebanese Board on Books for Young People (LBBY) have developed a relief project to support the children displaced this war, many of whom are refugees from Palestine and Syria. LBBY has launched an appeal for donations. IBBY will respond as it always does. Could you please share this appeal with your members and help raise funds? The current needs are dire, and, as the escalation of war continues in the region, we must be ready for further actions wherever we can provide support. Thank you for your support and let’s join hands to provide some respite to the children who need our love and empathy urgently. Donations can be sent via the IBBY website or by contacting the IBBY Secretariat. With my best regards, Basarat Kazim IBBY President 
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