Beirut's very first Social Media Awards

English

The beautiful nerds of Lebanon have done it again! After the greatest GeekFest Beirut's ever witnessed (Ok, fine, it was the only one I attended, but still it was pretty awesome) some of the most creative and witty young talents of our webnation have gathered to bring us yet another outstanding event: The Social Media Awards.

We, the online community, proposed nominees in specific categories which were then shortlisted and you can now review them all on the SMA website to vote for your favorites. Now beware, you can only vote once in each category so choose wisely.

Here are some rules that you should take into consideration: 

1. Voting will start on April 1, 2013 and end on April 25, 2013.

2. Your votes will represent 50% of the final results, while the judges re-voting will represent the other 50%.

3. You can log-in only through Facebook and Twitter to submit votes.

4. You can only vote once for each category.

5. You cannot change your votes once you submit them so be careful when you are voting.

6. To navigate to other categories, use the progress bar (white dots) at the bottom of the page.

7. If you vote for all 32 categories, you will have a chance to win 2 tickets to the final award ceremony at Phoenicia Hotel on April 29. Once you vote for all categories, you will be prompted to enter your email address for the draw.

8. You can only vote from a personal account. Votes from accounts that do not represent a person (on Facebook or Twitter) will not be counted.

9. Votes from duplicate accounts (Facebook and Twitter of the same person) will not be counted.

10. Votes from fake accounts and accounts newer than March 30, 2013 will not be counted.

11. The Social Media Awards is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and accounts and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sect, location, age, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, disability, employment, or any other form of segregation.

12. The Social Media Awards reserves the right to disqualify nominees or users in the case of cheating, dishonest behavior, copyright infringement, trademark violations, promotion of illegal activities, abusive behavior, or promoting explicit content (such as pornography, drugs, or violence).

13. If any of the finalists is found to be cheating or spamming, that finalist will be disqualified from the competition without warning and all detect cheating voters will not be counted.

Source: The Social Media Awards

So who are your judges?

Nemr Abou Nassar (Stand up comedian)

Fida Chaaban Chaaban (Editor in chief of RAGMAG magazine)

Omar Christidis Christidis (Founder and CEO of ArabNet)

Tom Fletcher ( Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Lebanese Republic)

Mohammad Hijazi (Online Collaborative)

Ziad Kamel (Founder/CEO of The Alleyway Group)

Leila Khauli Hanna (Professor at the American University of Beirut)

Octavia Nasr (Journalist)

Shada Omar (Journalist)

Darine Sabbagh (Online Collaborative)

Nicholas Sehnaoui (Minister of Telecommunications in Lebanon)

Maya Zankoul (Author and visual artist)

Source: The Social Media Awards

Many of the nominees in my humble opinion, deserve the recognition and I am proud to see Lebanon giving Social Media the attention it deserves. So much work is being done by our online Lebanese community and most of the times, without any media coverage or visibility.

That is why this first edition of The Social Media Awards is so important. It is the beginning of, I hope, a long lasting tradition that will not only allow important members of the online community and their work to gain recognition with the wider public but it will also encourage current and new Social Media actors to come to light and know their efforts are actually appreciated.

This year, it appears some people were bashing (as haters always do) and to be honest, I too was hoping to see other candidates make the list of nominees and as much as I do not have to be in agreement with all the choices that were shortlisted (in my humble opinion, again) one thing is for certain, this is a first step. An excellent one even. And I am confident each SMA edition will be a learning experience to the online community as much as to the organizers, and will raise the bar for the Awards to come. So let us start, shall we? And by doing so, let us get involved and make sure upcoming events will continue to develop and grow.

I am still in the process of casting my votes. It turns out it requires more attention that I expected and since with (clicking)power comes great responsibility, I would like to make sure my voice truly represents me.

So far, I have focused on the categories close to my heart: NGOs.

Two of my favorites are actually competing and not only do I admire the work that these organizations have been doing, I have nothing but absolute respect for the ladies behind them. I am in awe of what they have already achieved and I can only see greater accomplishments in their future.

Source

The first one is One Wig Stand. They need no introduction if you follow this blog: Bras For A Cause Middle East and Make The Cut: Hair Donation Campaign are two of the many initiatives this NGO has successfully managed to run both locally and on the regional scene offering women battling cancer with support, hope and most importantly empowering them to go beyond taboos and to shine as human beings, fighters and women. Inner beauty and inner strength will grow even stronger when you allow them to glow on the outside as well, and this is what these initiatives are about. Be as fabulous as your spirit, ladies!

My second vote went to The Nawaya Network, a well-deserving organization that has been tirelessly touring the globe to gain means (financial or otherwise) in order to empower our underprivileged youth by granting them access to resources they could not have dreamed of acquiring on their own thus helping them turn their talents and hopes into realities and consequently become assets to our nation. This is the kind of education we need for our children: non-politicized, unbiased, secular support for a united young Lebanon built by intelligent, successful young talents.

Source

It is just my own personal view but I believe many other organizations I love could have been shortlisted too and benefited from the media exposure, such as SANAD, Cupcake Box, Lebanese Laïque Pride, Ibtissama, Skoun, Nasawiya, and the brilliant Take Back Parliament campaign.

But I guess at the end of the day, it is not realistic nor reasonable to shortlist everyone at this stage of the competition, and ultimately, only one will win anyway although I honestly believe all the current nominees deserving of an award. Yet this is not L'École Des Fans, and as much as I would love to hear 'tout le monde a gagné' (everyone is a winner) we all know this is not possible.

Hey, a modest mention on this even modester blog cannot hurt, right?
So there, it is done ;)

Now it is your turn to give your favorite nominees a voice or rather a click... So who will you support?


Bookmarks

• The Social Media Awards official website
• Like The Social Media Awards on Facebook
• Follow The Social Media Awards on Twitter
• Join The Social Media Awards on LinkedIn

 

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Made The Cut!

English

We all know money does not grow on trees and neither does hair, but luckily the latter does grow (sometimes even in abundance) on our heads and while it is noble and so important to continuously support research and those who work day and night to eradicate cancer, it does warm the heart to be able to give some sort of immediate comfort to the fighters: cancer patients. 

So a few months ago I took a pledge and promised to support One Wig Stand's latest initiative by donating hair to Make The Cut: Hair Donation Campaign.

Hair might seem ridiculous. It might seem absolutely useless. After all, it is not like hair will cure cancer or save a life. And yet, it might save a heart. 

It may sound weird and completely unscientific but positive thoughts and behavior are now known to be factors in the healing process and while chemotherapy will surely take a toll on the body, its side effects may also crush the most courageous of spirits. 

So yes, hair may seem ridiculous, to those who have it and do not have to bear the weight of loosing it. But to a a cancer patient, it is a constant reminder that the disease is ever-present, trying to steal their whole being. And to a woman in particular, it may be perceived as a stab in what makes her who and what she is. I say "may" because possibly, not all women feel and view their femininity as such. But simply put, to those who do, loosing their hair feels just like an amputation. So if reconstructing the limb that was lost might help reconstruct the spirit and the will to go on, then by all means, Make The Cut, people!

What is "Make The Cut"?

❝One in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in her lifetime and nearly 60% of them regard hair loss as the single worst side effect of cancer treatment. Hair loss as a result of cancer treatments can be devastating to a woman’s self-esteem as well as emotionally distressing as they feel others will realize they are sick. Many patients report feeling insecure about their appearance during this time and isolate themselves from others as a result of this. [...] Unfortunately, natural (human-hair) wigs which are the most comfortable, durable and physically-appealing for patients are also quite costly - especially in considering the high medical expenses and bills one incurs during treatment. As part of our mission to enrich the lives of cancer patients and boost their sense of well-being during treatment, One Wig Stand is launching the Make the Cut: Hair Donation Campaign to collect as many ponytails as possible from across Lebanon to be able to create and provide wigs for all those who can’t afford one. The campaign will be running across Lebanon until June 2013 with creative collaborations planned along the way to boost involvement and hair donations from the community. Wigs will be made and distributed locally.❞

Source

So how did I do it?

Well shortly after taking my pledge I notice a surprising message on Facebook from Franck Provost Dubai: I had won a free haircut! 

Is that a sign or what?

HAIR YEAH!

Clearly, the entire universe was conspiring for me to Make The Cut!

So I call and make a booking and most importantly let them know that I will need to take photos because this haircut is part of a pledge that I will be blogging about to raise awareness for Make The Cut and their cause.

My request was welcomed with the warmest support and a genuine interest in knowing more about hair donation programs in the region. 

So dear reader, if you live in the UAE and would like to help, get in touch with Hair For Hope now and join Franck Provost Dubai in their  pledge to support hair donations locally.

They totally rock and I had the best VIP treatment at their salon in Mall of the Emirates! Armen Baddour, probably the nicest stylist in town, came on his day off just for me, wearing a shiny smile on his face (and shiny scissors in his hand) and... insisted on giving his very own donation too! That was really the sweetest surprise of the evening! That, and my new head of course!

How about we take a walk (or rather a scroll) down memory lane and see what the whole fuss is about, shall we?

Step one, divide and tie the hair in small ponytails:

Oh yes, we are not afraid of cutting! When I said I'd donate, I meant it and quite frankly, since I do nothing with that hair of mine, might as well give it to someone who can use it, right?

Step two, do a little Edward Scissorhands magic on that boring head:

Step three requires a dash of styling, Armen-style:

And here you go: perfect!

Gotta love this guy!

I am definitely visiting Franck Provost Dubai at Mall of the Emirates again. They totally deserve the effort and they will send you back home happy. No matter how long or short your hair (donation?) is.

In conclusion

I am so grateful to One Wig Stand for all the work they do and allowing regular people to be able to give a little bit more every day. After Bras For A Cause, I knew this was one NGO I needed to keep my eye on and indeed, they never disappoint. Make The Cut: Hair Donation Campaign does rock!

If you are wondering how you too can be part of this amazing initiative, take a look at One Wig Stand's guidelines, visit the campaign's Facebook page or contact the organizers by email or phone +9611203112.

I would like to add that while the organization has partnered with several top-notch salons in Lebanon, donations can be made from all over the globe. I am personally mailing mine from Dubai and I can confirm the process is easy and hassle-free!

TAKE THOSE SCISSORS OUT PEOPLE ;)

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Jewelry For A Smile

English

Ibtissama is one of my favorite organizations in Lebanon. And with good reason: their mission is to brighten the days of children stuck in hospital beds, what could be kinder than this? If you want to learn more about what they do, swing by the interview that first introduced me to their Clown Doctors ;)

Now Ibtissama is going to make you or someone you love smile too. They just launched a Jewelry line in collaboration with MAC DESIGN:

Jewelry for a cause: the Launch of the Ibtissama collection by Mac Design  

Ibtissama’s mission is to bring a much-needed smile to the faces of hospitalized children in Lebanon. Ibtissama’s Clowns Doctors were able to reach and make 13,130 bed visits to hospitalized children; most of them suffer from cancer and other chronic illnesses. The four hospitals that Ibtissama project currently covers are Rafic Hariri University Hospital, the American University of Beirut Medical Center including St. Jude affiliated Children Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL), Hotel-Dieu de France and Makassed General Hospital. Ibtissama hopes to widen the reach to other hospitals with the increased support of the Lebanese Society. As part of sustaining its activities in Lebanon for its fourth year running, Mac Design partnered up with Ibtissama to create the full range Ibtissama jewelry collection. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Ibtissama's mission. The collection can be found at all Mac Design branches. 

For further information you can call the project coordinator Ms. Sara Kabbani, Smile Foundation, 01-801264, Mobile: 03-915806, email: sara.kabbani@ibtissama.org

The designs are very cool and they would make for perfect gifts this Christmas or on any other occasion:

Necklace and bracelet are at 30 US Dollars only and ring and earrings at 45 US Dollars only. It is worthwhile noting 100% of proceeds are donated to Ibtissama.

So why don't you rush to the nearest Mac Design store now (ABC Ashrafieh, ABC Dbayeh and Saifi Mar Maroun Street) or get in touch with Ibtissama for more information:

• Address: 135 Sakiat Al-Janzeer Street, Jade Bldg., Ground Floor, Ain El-Tineh, Beirut 2039-4505, Lebanon 
• Phone: +961-1-801264 EXT: 115 
• Fax: +961-1-790879 
• Email  
• Website 
• Facebook  
• YouTube  
• Twitter

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Hair we go!

English

Back in September, I heard the most wonderful news on Facebook: One Wig Stand announced the launch of their hair donation program. I pledged then that I would not have a cut before I could be back in Lebanon and do it with them.

But let's face it, my head is in desperate need of styling and I cannot tell you how frustrated I felt not to be able to be in Lebanon before Spring. Or even, argh... Summer! But a pledge's a pledge. So I manned up and waited.

Well guess what! I saw a recent post on  Facebook with a donation from Jordan. Turns out I can do it from anywhere in the world! We all can ;) 

That was amazing news, obviously. My hair nodded with appreciation.

So here's the deal, with the holidays approaching, I will be waiting a few more weeks just to get it a little longer and I will have my hair cut, all documented and photographed some time between Christmas and New Year.

What better time right? It would be a nice thing to do this time of year, I would get a brand new head for 2013 (to go along with my never-happening-resolution-list) and I would keep up with my pledge. Hey, I might even get inspired to get that resolution list on track, who knows?

So how will I do it?

All the instructions are well detailed on One Wig Stand, so really, there is no hassle. 

I will keep you posted on how it goes of course, and expect photos and a testimonial as soon as we snip  everything away ;)

So are you game? 

Take the pledge and get a new head for 2013!

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Organize Your Closet Early This Year

English

It has been a very difficult couple of days and I am certain nobody can take their minds off of Ashrafieh, Beirut and Lebanon. Being in Dubai, miles from it all, everything feels even more tragic. While thoughts and prayers go to the victims we lost, the ones fighting for their lives and their loved ones, one can only hope their Lebanese countrymen and women will be kind enough to provide any support and donation (including blood) they possibly can; wise enough not to fall in the trap of violence, civil war and more destruction; and brave enough to stand for what is right and fight that damn corrupt system and the politicians who represent it in order to finally reach a united secular nation that promises to protect all citizens equally.

Before that tragedy, I was working on a blog post. It is also about an important cause so I felt it was alright to bring it up now, in spite of all that has happened and the focus on Ashrafieh.

To learn more about Organize Your Closet Early This Year, I had a little chat with Yara El Moussaoui, Fundraising Officer at Skoun, Lebanese Addictions Center.

Tell us about Skoun. 

Skoun, Lebanese Addictions Center is a non-profit, non-governmental Lebanese organization created in 2001 and legally registered in 2003. Skoun helps people with addiction problems claim their lives. We provide a nonjudgmental, caring environment of client-centered treatment and counseling. We also deliver tools and information to reduce the harm caused by drug use and we advocate for drug policy change and increased public awareness regarding addiction. Skoun also educates young people and the community to prevent drug misuse and promote well being by delivering the facts about the dangers of drugs and developing educational programs which equip adolescents with the skills needed to lead healthy and productive lives. In 2010, Skoun began providing its services to its patients, free of charge considering the high demand for treatment in the underprivileged communities of Lebanon. In May of 2012, Skoun opened its second clinic in Chiah, facing your Chiah factory to help and support hard to reach populations, providing treatment and prevention services in the area and its surroundings.

Photo courtesy of Skoun and Yara El Moussaoui

What is Organize Your Closet Early This Year? 

Since Skoun is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, its income consists mainly of grants from local and international agencies, governmental funding from Lebanese Ministries, personal donors and fundraising events. As part of our continuous efforts to generate income for our NGO while helping the community, Skoun is starting a fundraising and socially engaging initiative, which is an annual Yard Sale. We are planning to have our first Yard Sale in 3/4 November 2012 in the Chiah/Ain Remaneh area where we have recently opened our second clinic. The yard sale will consist of donated items (second hand and new) by Skoun supporters that will be sold at very low prices in the purpose of generating income for Skoun and benefiting the community of this underprivileged area by providing them with high quality items at very affordable prices.  Items donated will vary between books, toys, household items, furniture, women/men/kids clothes, accessories, DVDs, CDs, artisanat, etc...

Photo courtesy of Skoun and Yara El Moussaoui

Is it a first-time event? 

This is the first year for this event and we hope it will be a success because all revenues go to the funding of our second clinic at Chiah and we aim at selling very good quality items at very symbolic prices. 

How can people help or volunteer? 

People can simply help by donating items and attending the bazar to buy. 

Any other useful information and contact info you would like to share? 

They can contact us at 01.202714 or 70.990405 for more information and ask for Yara El Moussaoui. 

So what are you waiting for? You know you are always postponing the dreadful moment when you will have no choice but to clean up that closet. This time, do not wait until the rack falls on your head while you are busy looking for that fabulous shirt you can no longer find somewhere in that unknown pile of laundry. And while you are at it, seize the momentum and take a look at your entire house. You will feel so much better afterwards. As for the Yard Sale, you know how we all love to shop, right? Right. Support a great cause and an outstanding organization and Organize Your Closet Early This Year.

A little touch of kindness in the midst of cruelty and violence is always heartwarming to all, especially to those who are willing to give.



Your Bookmarks

• Visit Skoun's Official Website
• Follow Skoun on Facebook and Twitter
• Share Organize Your Closet Early This Year on Facebook

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Maz Jobrani: Laughs for a cause

English

When I got online to buy my ticket for Maz Jobrani's latest show in Beirut about a month ago, little did I know I was making my first step towards meeting inspiring new friends. 

SANAD brings Maz Jobrani back to Beirut - Banner in Hamra Street

Photo: R. Abouzeid

I remember a time when it was possible, if we tried and searched really hard, to find a magic pathway hidden where the rainbow touches the earth. It feels like yesterday and an eternity ago. 

"Real" life, responsibilities, practicality and the disillusioned wisdom that comes with understanding rainbows are only optical phenomena ridden from any magic whatsoever is partly how we get to adulthood. And the older we get, the more likely we are to be forced to face notions and realities that we did not comprehend or even acknowledge for what they truly are and mean when we were younger. Death must be the most painful lesson of all. It sneaks in from behind and startles us in malicious ways. None of these ways are ever easy, and no time, knowledge and even faith can prepare us to the magnitude and actual suffering that comes with burying a loved one. 

Caring for sick relatives or friends has got to be the most difficult of responsibilities. The guilt that comes with their passing is all the more overwhelming as nothing we do ever seems enough or right. 

For my father, last year meant saying goodbye to his mother and again, only forty days later to his father. But before that painful involuntary closure, our family had been struggling with duty, guilt, judgemental relatives and neighbors, and even people we do not know, all having an opinion about what we should do and how we should do it. All of them ready to preach, none of them available to help. In the meantime, my father had two of the people he loves the most, condemned to living in their beds and unable to understand what is happening around them. Aside from suffering from advanced Alzheimer, their health was gradually worsening until medical assistance and institutionalized hospice care became a necessity.

So I admit the very first thought that came to mind when I stumbled upon SANAD on Facebook was "Oh my God, I so wish I had heard about this organization before". Which is why I feel it is my duty to introduce them to you and everyone else, as unfortunately, no one is exempt from disease or death.

The Arabic word SANAD (سند) literally translates to "Support". It is also the name of that wonderful non-governmental organization based in Hamra, at the heart of the Lebanese capital where the NGO recently invited Maz Jobrani in an effort to raise funds and awareness for their cause.

Virgin Ticketing Box Office was as easy as 1, 2, 3

The show was outstanding and Maz was hilarious, as always. It was also a pleasure watching local talents Joseph Azoury and Elias Ghoussoub's opening acts which were exceptional. I laughed so hard that night, my head hurt! And I was lucky enough to even have a little one-on-one with Maz when he tackled the topic of new babies as I happened to have left my own newborn with my mother that evening, just so I could attend the show. Do not judge. Let us be real, I was not about to miss Maz Jobrani... in Hamra! Now, that would have been ridiculous!

Following the show, I made the promise to pay SANAD a visit so I could learn more about what they do and how we can support them, support us all. 

I have read somewhere once, that when a loved one is struck by a disease, the entire family gets sick. Not literally of course. But emotionally. Everyone's lives must unavoidably change. The disease takes up most of the space at home, and those forced to live with it cannot escape being affected. 

Some of these diseases can drag for months, years even. So how do we make sure that loved one does not ever feel like a burden? And how do we make sure we never feel guilty for thinking they indeed, are a burden? 

Because diseases exhaust everyone. And when people get sick, everyone gets tired, and sad, and angry and sometimes cruel. Unintentionally of course. But the consequence remains the same: more pain. When that loved one leaves us, the hurt does not. It lingers, gets comfortable and invites guilt in our hearts and lives. 

I have seen it far too often in the past few years with close relatives departing and others enduring and surviving their losses. At the times when I personally was touched, when my husband was touched, I truly wished someone had offered us some guidance. 

Unfortunately, our loved ones were never proposed any psychological support and we were not presented with any grief counseling. Patients must live their last days plagued with the idea of death. And their relatives must live the rest of their lives tormented with guilt, pain and sorrow. 

Everyone makes due, eventually, whichever way they can or know how. But it should not have to be that draining. It should not have to be that cruel. Sometimes, it only takes a gesture, a very small one, to make things a little better. How? With help from professionals who have the expertise and knowledge to alleviate the pain and confusion.

Palliative and Hospice Care have been highly controversial fields worldwide because of the myth that claims they equal quitting the quest for a cure, surrendering to death and passively waiting for the end. After all, End Of Life care comes to play when physicians declare no more treatments are available to a particular case. 

Maz Jobrani at SANAD's fundraiser show
Photo courtesy of SANAD

If I were to sum up in one word everything I heard from the amazing people at SANAD, that word would be "compassion". 

Compassionate medical care. That almost sounds like an oxymoron. Indeed, how can professionals who must be objective by distancing themselves and ridding their minds (and hearts) from any paralyzing emotional attachment be compassionate at the same time?

It is no coincidence, the modern version of the Hippocratic Oath that physicians vow to respect includes to "apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism." Clearly, this statement implies being reasonable enough to avoid therapeutic stubbornness or overtreatment.  

At this stage, the aim is no longer to treat or cure but rather to improve Quality of Life by managing and relieving the patients from pain and its symptoms in order for them to enjoy their remaining days comfortably and with dignity.

In order to do so, Hospice Care also includes providing assistance for patients’ families to help them understand and cope with their new situation. Medical and social workers assess the psychological dynamics within the family in order to provide the right resources for everyone.

I had the opportunity to get an insight on compassionate healthcare when Lubna Izziddin, founding member and hands-on social worker with SANAD invited me to meet her and two of her colleagues: Helen Samaha Nuwayhid, a Registered Nurse with Master's degrees in Public Health and Nursing and recently elected President of the Lebanese Nurses Order, as well as Marie Claire Mouhawej also a Registered Nurse who specializes in Palliative Care. They shed light on SANAD's efforts as well as End Of Life care in Lebanon.

SANAD: A CALLING AND A MISSION

SANAD caters for those patients that are "referred to go home" as Lubna Izziddin explains. "The patient gets home because there is no treatment and this is where our role comes in. What we do is Home Hospice Care."

Although representing the same Quality of Life principle, Hospice Care differs from Palliative Care as the latter "begins at the diagnosis stage and extends until the end" clarifies Marie Claire Mouhawej. "Hospice is at the end, when there is no more treatment. So there was a long way completed [by the patient and his physicians] before we come to play." 

"Once declared, we agree with the doctor of the patient on the care plan so the patient is also comfortable that we are coordinating with their original doctor" continues Lubna Izziddin. "So our doctor and nurse and their doctor work closely together" depending on the original physician's wish for involvement. "Some have strong involvement, some fairly, some not at all. It really differs from one patient to another". 

The "no-treatment" diagnosis is essential before SANAD steps in. "A number of patients came to us and we thought that they needed to be treated so we did not take them in" insists Lubna Izziddin.

"For us, it's about quality of life. It's about dignity. It's about living those days and enjoying those days as much as possible. So the most important issue is for the pain and symptoms to be managed. And also, the most important task is to help the family and the patient's surrounding, for them to be able to cope with the situation in order to have an active role with the patient and to actually support them in a way that makes the whole family unit or the patient's environment active. Active and living those days and moments rather than just passively waiting for the D-Day to come."

Lubna Izziddin at SANAD's fundraiser show
Photo courtesy of SANAD

"We just held a focus group discussion with the patients' families and we got fantastic feedback from them on how much it helped them live those days" reveals Lubna Izziddin with a genuine smile and the sort of pride only a noble effort can engender. "I always like to quote an article that says hospice care facilitates or helps the families and the patients say 'I love you', 'Thank you' and 'Goodbye'. And those are in different ways manifested in the work we do, I believe".

"SANAD has been actively working for two years now" explains Helen Nuwayhid who describes this focus group discussion as being an evaluation of this work: "We called for an independent facilitator to listen to some of our families, the families we have worked with for an average of six months. This is how long a family stays with us approximately." 

Many themes were tackled such as "tension between cure and care which is the issue of futility of treatment and how patients get stuck in the middle. Another theme was the difficulties caregivers in the family go through. All this just goes to show the importance of hospice."

"They spoke of SANAD's work and how it changed their lives. How it added quality to their lives. How the presence of a competent nurse and doctor from SANAD managed to relieve their pain by making a thorough assessment of the patient's pain, the symptoms, how to take care of them, what narcotics should be taken. SANAD medical professionals treated the pain with the best results by being there, available at any point in time so that if there was no good response they could come up with another plan. Bottom line, by relieving the patients from pain symptoms and they could actually live their lives." 

Helen Samaha Nuwayhid
Photo courtesy of SANAD

Helen Nuwayhid insists SANAD does not "prolongate or diminish lifetime" however, their approach with the patient is based on the belief that "even when there is no treatment, there is hope. Hope for connectiveness, hope to be able to make decisions, the ability [for the patients] to live with their families, the ability to interact and share with them. So yes, we do say there is hope. It's not 'false hope', it is hope that they can live life until the last moment, free of pain and there is no lying".

"And we stand against the concept that if there is no cure it means that's it, it's the end, just wait for death. We have to live by our principles and this is what we stand for. It's a compassionate, comprehensive, competence that actually embraces the family".

QUALITY OF LIFE

"The first hospice in the Arab world started in Jordan 20 years ago" reveals Lubna Izziddin who is well acquainted with Al-Malath Foundation for Humanistic Care, who took care of her mother back home. "They're fantastic and they so kindly supported SANAD and our team technically when we started SANAD, we also went to Jordan for a three-day crash course training and discussion. They even came to us and we co-hosted a conference with the nurses syndicate here [in Lebanon] and they are always available to help when we need them. We coordinate well together not only because we know they're experts in the field and are a reference on the subject but also because they are from the Arab world. We travelled to other countries for training but Lebanon is similar to Jordan in culture, religions, practices. So this gives us an insight on their experience in Jordan as part of the Arab world. Because there are lots of taboos and we need to use our customs and traditions in a way that supports hospice, not hinders it. We can't parachute concepts that are not part of our culture. We do believe in change like every other person who advocates and lobbies for new ideas and concepts but we have to do it within the culture". 

Marie Claire Mouhawej
Photo courtesy of SANAD

Marie Claire Mouhawej explains: "When we enter a home, we find people who are lost. They don't know where to start. Our role is to start with them. We think with them to see how to make their lives easier. The fact that they know there is someone they can rely on helps the family. When you relieve the family, you relieve the patient because they are the patient's support and caregivers. Instead of wasting time, confused, they can spend this precious time with the patient  more comfortably". 

SANAD provides this critical support through a team of medical experts of course and Marie Claire Mouhawej supported by Dr. Salam Jalloul, a geriatric physician, visits patients herself and provides nursing care for those who cannot afford a nurse but still need the assistance. The team also offers social and psychological support for all patients and their loved ones, training the family to be better equipped to take care of their patient and guiding them through the different phases until the end. And as not every need is medical, SANAD caters to all sorts of necessities, some more unusual than others. Once they hired a housekeeping service to clean the home of one of their patients because she could not afford to do so herself and had no one around to help. "That's quality of life, isn't it?" asks Lubna Izziddin with a smile.

"EOL CARE" AS NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE

Helen Nuwayhid goes on to reveal an important aspect of SANAD's lobbying on the political front for new polices to be put in place in order to build a system for Palliative and Hospice Care. "There were talks of Palliative Care at a national level already. And in May 2011 there was an important initiative backed by the The Ministry of Health's general director. A decree was issued at the national level stating we will attend to Palliative Care as a public health issue. A national committee was convened with four sub-committees at the different levels of Palliative Care, namely Practice, Education, Research and Policy". Helen Nuwayhid herself,  as SANAD representative, is member of the national committee and is the focal person on the sub-committe on Policy. "This is a great achievement. In comparison with the rest of the Arab world, we are giving importance to Quality of Life at EOL (End of Life)".

"The sub-comittee on policy does take a special interest in "pain": how can we make the pain procedures and mechanisms easy for doctors to follow, for practitioners on the ground, and for the families to know how to deal with the pain for the cycle to be complete. This is an issue that we're tackling in the policy sub-committee". 

"What we're calling for is for the whole spectrum to be integral to the healthcare system. In our policy making we're promoting for policies to take into account the voice of the community. We need awareness raising at the level of physicians, nurses and all the practitioners as well as the curricula in these professionals' schools to be updated in that respect. We also need awareness at the level of the community, to reduce the taboo of death and dying".

SANAD Q and A 

How do families know about you?

Lubna Izziddin: Word of mouth mostly, and doctors refer them to us sometimes; Google also. Some of the patients have relatives abroad where they are more aware of hospice so they Google "Hospice Care Lebanon" and find us.

What sort of medical care can be provided at home?

Lubna Izziddin: Pain and symptoms management are the priority at the beggenning, and also as importantly, social and psychological support to the patients and their families.  We provide medications and medical equipement that ensure better quality of life.  It is not about a good medical care as much as it is a wholestic approach, we work on the the patients' needs, the families' and the setup as one unit.   Our support varies from one patient to another, type of ilness, family dynamics, the medical set-up, social issues and many more different dimentions.  We are privilaged that the families "let us in" at all levels, this is priceless.

Is Hospice Care at home covered by the insurance and/or social security?

Lubna Izziddin: We're still at the very beginning, we are in the process of discovery. Insurances, public and private are one of the issues we want to look at, from the policy and practice perspective. There are other organizations that also started providing palliative and hospice care such as Balsam Palliative Care in Lebanon, so as you can see, Lebanon is really taking very good steps in palliative and hospice care in both implmentation and policy levels. 

Marie Claire Mouhawej: In Lebanon we don't have a structure for Hospice Care as no one provides financial support; nobody helps at home. So we try to fill the gap and we are discovering some things that can be covered such as medications. In Lebanon, there are no official rates set by the government for doctors and nurses which is why these services are not covered. It is widely known worldwide that it is cheaper for the patient to be at home, but in Lebanon, because hospitals are fully covered by the government, the decision to take the patient home is more difficult to reach. Patients prefer to be at home because at the hospital they are not in their surroundings, they get lost, they are simply unhappy. 

Where do you operate?

Lubna Izziddin: We cover Beirut el Koubra. At a very later stage, we may expand. We don't want to expand too quickly. We see SANAD as a small NGO that is growing slowly but surely. The issue is very sensitive, it is mostly considered a taboo in our community, and mistakes are not allowed. We're talking about End Of Life. So we can't hurry things. We're happy with how much we're learning and the feedback from the focus group which confirmed that our interventions responded to the different needs of the patients and their familes, and this is actually what is most important. A patient who lived with dignity and a family that remembers fondly their loved one and the role they played in that phase in the most beautiful way. This means that we did our job right. This is our calling. But we don't want to jeopardize quality just for the sake of expansion. 

Mohannad Khatib, who donated his photos to raise funds for SANAD, with Dr. Salam Jalloiul, SANAD's doctor and Marie Claire Mouhawej, SANAD's Nurse
Photo courtesy of SANAD

How do you recruit?

Lubna Izziddin: Finding the right people to do this is the most difficult task. We don't only need a nurse and a doctor who are qualified and who are skilled medically. We also need - and it is equally important - somebody who's wise, who knows how to handle difficult situations, challenges, family issues, decision making, and who are compassionate. 

Do you welcome volunteers?

Lubna Izziddin: We are starting to build a volunteer structure. We have people volunteering in an unstructured manner, here and there who help with very specific tasks varying from moving beds from home to home for instance or helping with the fundraising activities throughout the year. But we plan to launch a platform for volunteers very soon and we aim at training them in the very near future. We urge your readers who are interested in volunteering to kindly send us an email to volunteer@sanadhospice.org. 

How can people support you?

Lubna Izziddin: We totally depend on donations. People can donate online, or by bank transfer which is the preferred and easier method, or even by cheque addressed to "SANAD". We also organize fundraisers. The Maz event for instance was a great success and will enable us to hire a new nurse. We also have Bracelets people can purchase for as little as 10,000 Lebanese Pounds available at SANAD. People can email us or call +9613451774. More information on our merchandise and events will be updated regularly on our website and Facebook page.

SANAD Bracelets
Photo courtesy of SANAD

Useful Information and Bookmarks

SANAD, Home Hospice Association of Lebanon

Ola Building, 3rd Floor 

Hamra main street 

Beirut, Lebanon 

T: +961 3 451 774 

E: info@sanadhospice.org

W: http://www.sanadhospice.org

Facebook: SANADHospiceLebanon

Support SANAD / Bank Transfer Info

Account Name: SANAD 

SWIFT Code: BLOMLBBX 

Bank Address: BLOM Bank, Bliss Street Branch  

Lebanese Pounds:

Account number 033 01 300 0887005 1 7 

IBAN LB67 0014 0000 3301 3000 8870 0517   

US Dollars:

Account number 033 02 300 0887005 1 6 

IBAN LB05 0014 0000 3302 3000 8870 0516 

Al-Malath Foundation for Humanistic Care, Jordan

P.O. Box 851536 

Amman - 11185 

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

T: +962 6 5685767 

F: +962 6 5685767 

E: Hospice@wanadoo.jo

E: Hospice@go.com.jo 

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