Lebanon confirmed the person I want to be

I was very curious and excited about the idea of going to Lebanon: I could not wait to immerse myself in a new culture, meet people, learn from them, and challenge myself again with the Levantine dialect that I had started studying in Jerusalem. From a professional point of view, I expected to work alongside the project manager and begin to concretely understand the work involved in the different phases of the project cycle, as agreed before my departure, an experience I considered essential for my future in cooperation work.

When I arrived, I was welcomed by a taxi driver: I was a little frightened by the uncertainty, but above all eager to begin. From the very start, I was struck by the poverty, especially by the number of children in the streets instead of at school.

Within the organization, I integrated well, mainly thanks to a very supportive colleague who guided me through a new and complex environment, as well as the support of another volunteer who was already there. However, it was not always easy: in the office there were moments of stagnation when I was given very few tasks and struggled to truly feel useful. I had also expected that the program agreed upon before my departure would at least be partially followed, and that my tutor would be able to involve and mentor me more by delegating some activities. I do, however, understand the weight of his responsibilities and remain grateful for the opportunity and for the time he dedicated to me.

At the same time, I lived through very powerful and meaningful experiences. Among the most beautiful was the work of sorting medicines at the Barbara Nasser Cancer Center together with Danielle, her sweet little dog Chipie, Stephanie, another volunteer, and Celine and Lea, two medical and pharmacy students: a moment filled with collaboration, shared laughter, stories and perspectives, and also a precious opportunity to practice the language. I will never forget the grateful faces of the doctors who came to collect the medicines that we had gathered, sorted, and organized.

Also unforgettable was meeting Lamia, director of an NGO that supports migrant women (mainly from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan), domestic workers who are often victims of abuse and exploitation, by offering them training, language classes, and above all a safe space where they can come together and support one another. She welcomed me like a daughter, cooking wonderful lunches for me and allowing me to learn so much from her experience, both on a human and professional level. I also carry with me the warmth of Lydie and Joseph, who welcomed me into their family and made me feel at home.

Lebanon and its people gave me so much: hospitality, generosity, the value of community life, strength, determination, intelligence, kindness, and ambition despite the difficulties. This experience deeply inspired me both personally and professionally; it made even clearer the kind of person I want to be and the work I want to do, confirming my desire to work in development/humanitarian cooperation and to continue putting myself at the service of others.

In the end, I can say that the experience exceeded my expectations: intense, brief, yet profoundly transformative. While on one hand I would have liked to receive more professional guidance, on the other I learned an enormous amount in different ways. I also would have liked to stay longer, but between the difficulty of finding new opportunities and the outbreak of the war, it was not possible.

I carry with me the faces and stories of the people I met, and an even stronger awareness of the privilege in which we live compared to many other realities. Above all, I carry with me the desire to place myself at the service of others in both my life and my work, in order to contribute — even in my own small way — to improving the living conditions of those who have been less fortunate.