The Kids are Excited to Eat Regularly Again
In the heart of Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, Hafra works diligently to care for her husband and children. Originally from the town of Riyak, she and her family were forced to flee after intense bombings threatened their lives. One of her sons narrowly escaped being hit. “The children were crying and shouting every time there was a bombing,” she recalls. “Even now, they carry that trauma.”
Despite personal health challenges and her husband’s physical disability caused by a workplace injury in his youth, she has become the pillar holding her extended family together. After the death of her brother-in-law and his wife, she welcomed their children into her already small home. Now, with ten children under her care and no steady family support nearby, she works tirelessly—cleaning homes and cooking for others—to meet their basic needs.
“I have so much anxiety, wondering every day if I am going to be able to provide for us all. I feel drained and exhausted, mentally and physically,” says Hafra. “I don’t know if I can take it any longer. It is hard to feel so lonely.”
In the midst of this hardship, True Vine Church, a local partner supported by CBM, became a beacon of hope. Since February 2025, Hafra has received vital assistance through the church’s Lebanon Response and Winter Assistance projects. Food boxes filled with essential dry goods have allowed her to stretch her limited income further, giving her the ability to buy vegetables and bring variety back to her children’s meals.
“The kids are so happy to eat regularly again,” she smiles. “And last month, we also received cash assistance for heating. I bought wood for the stove—it kept us warm during the coldest weeks.”
These simple yet powerful acts of kindness, led by True Vine Church and supported by Canadian Baptists, are making a tangible difference. They don’t just meet physical needs—they restore dignity, offer comfort, and remind families like hers that they are not alone.
“My hope is for our situation to improve,” she says. “To live like normal people. I am so thankful for the help of the church.”
In communities like Zahle, where displacement and hardship weigh heavily, CBM’s partnership with local churches empowers families through compassion, practical support, and hope.
