... and Mr. Zein Al Atat will Run for LOST this Marathon

Zein Al Atat visited LOST headquarters in Baalbeck and discussed with Dr Ramy Lakkis and senior executives in LOST the possibility of joining efforts in different projects LOST is conducting this year. Mr. Al Atat will support the participation of more than 2600 runners from Baalbeck Hermel in Beirut Marathon 2010. He also showed deep interest in sustaining needy people from the region through different social and economic programs that will be agreed upon in further meetings and discussions. Mr. Al Atat promised to donate 2500 kits of Zein soap and toothpaste. These kits will be distributed by LOST after the Marathon.

Mr. Al Atat was warmly welcomed by LOST executives and staff and his support was highly appreciated. The meeting ended by taking photos and celebrating the beginning of a promising cooperation in the future.

Massive Participation in Beirut Marathon 2010 from Baalbeck Hermel; More than 3000 persons will break the record

  “The number of participants that will run for LOST will exceed 3500 persons this year; more than 2600 will come down from Baalbeck-Hermel. It is a new breaking record in the Marathon”, said Hussein Yazbeck, director of Beit Shama Branch in LOST.

Participants from almost every high school in Baalbeck-Hermel will participate in this Marathon. “We are very excited, preparing almost everything we can to make this Marathon a very special day,” affirmed Rana Solh from Baalbeck.

LOST will manage to provide every logistical detail to help runners from Baalbeck-Hermel to participate actively and make the Marathon this year a great day.  They will run to reinforce a message that LOST is promoting all times “We live together, We run together!”

Mrs. May Khalil supports Women’s Empowerment Program in Baalbeck

Mrs. May Khalil
President of Beirut Marathon Association

Mrs. May Khalil the president of Beirut Marathon Association supported and funded special English and IT training courses for more than 40 women in Baalbeck. This course is part of the Women’s Empowerment program that LOST is managing in its four branches in Baalbeck, Ein, Beit Shama and Hermel. LOST would like to greet and thank Mrs. Khalil for its generous support.

Honoring Mrs. May Khalil and Dr. Zuhair Chokr

Dr Lakkis
honoring Mrs Khalil and Dr Chokr

Sunday October 10 witnessed the honoring of two Lebanese great figures; Mrs. May Khalil, the president of Beirut Marathon Association and Dr. Zuhair Chokr, the president of the Lebanese University. The event was conducted in Baalbeck and was attended by more than 400 academic, political, social and municipal figures.

The special event started at 12:30 pm with the Lebanese National Anthem followed by a warm welcoming speech by Mr. Hussein Yazbeck, the director of Beit Shama branch in LOST, who launched the Beirut Marathon participation campaign in Baalbeck Hermel. Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST then declared that “this year the participation of Baalbeck-Hermel is going to be massive.” He added that “we took the occasion of this honoring event to announce that the participation in the Marathon this year is dedicated to support an IT and career guidance program that will target 600 Lebanese University students. The program will start on November 13 in all LOST branches in Baalbeck, Ein, Beit Shama and Hermel.”

Dr. Lakkis’ speech was followed successively with a speech by Mrs. Khalil and Dr. Chokr. Mrs. Khalil thanked LOST and Dr. Chokr for the great efforts that they are doing for the Marathon and called for a substantial participation on November 7 to make this day a “national day”. In his speech Dr. Chokr thanked LOST and said “I think that LOST, Mrs. Khalil and Beirut Marathon Association that deserve to be honored today for the great achievement and contribution that they are doing for the Lebanese youth in our days.” The event ended by handing two honoring shields to Mrs. Khalil and Dr. Chokr.

Women’s Empowerment kicks off on Wednesday Sept. 22

Women’s Empowerment program will kick off on Wednesday 22 September. A new training program that LOST is conducting this fall. Eighty women in all LOST branches will attend special English classes and computer basics training. Each twenty women will be grouped in one class for two months. This program will help participants enroll in other business management courses that are continuously offered at LOST. 

Women’s Empowerment program this year would not have happened without the generous support of Mrs. Rabha Eidi who visited LOST last summer and met executives and senior staff there. Mrs. Eidi is a native of Lebanon, living in Toledo, OH since 1965. Since 2001 she contributed to many successful programs to help Lebanon. She became actively involved with two non-profit organizations to help Lebanon (Dar Al Hanan and Sadr Foundation). She currently is the International Director for Sadr Foundation U.S.A and Canada. In 2009, Mrs. Eidi received the “Expatriates Medal” from the General Directorate of the Lebanese Ministry Foreign Affairs.

A Life Changing Step

     “I’ve always believed that I have a role play in my life” said Sabah the determined mother and housewife. She continued talking about her decision she once made to change her life. So, she has thought a lot how to leap the first step in the long way which wasn’t paved for her. She was fought by her fellow-women “who were only used to gossiping, visiting each other without thinking how to take advantage of their time and to be productive members in society.”
   
    Sabah lived a dream that tickled her imagination day and night, and began blooming when she told her understanding husband and sons who agreed to support her. “I wanted to have steady steps and to have a unique role and make a difference in my life as a mother and as a citizen. I realized that I had  to learn English to help my sons to be successful in their studies especially  they were at crossing roads in their life. This is the way that led me to know LOST  and its staff who helped me to make my dream come true.” 

     “ At first, I took two English courses that gave me the chance to meet new people who I permanently compared myself to, and I secretly decided to be  good at computer as Suzan, one of my ambitious classmates, and to do a teaching course as Ola, another young fresh-graduate student who wanted to be a professional English teacher.” Yes, believe or not, Sabah has done both courses and she has been one of the brilliant students in her classes. She has never been absent only when she had lung surgery. You know what? A week after she left the hospital, she was in her class asking her teacher to make-up what she had missed.

     “LOST is the right place that I recommend to everyone I like. My husband and sons are proud of my achievement there, and they tell our visitors about my commitment and devotion of doing a very good job. Ah, I forgot to tell you, my son is doing an English course at LOST to improve his English because he wants to pass his high school official exam after he failed last year. The good thing is that I can help him at home  now since I took the same course.”

Celebrating Success in LOST’s 10th Annual Iftar

 

The Lebanese  Organization  of  Studies  and  Training  (LOST) organized its  10th annual Iftar in Baalbeck  on  August 15th , 2010 in the presence of H.E. Ali Abdullah, Minister of Youth and Sports to celebrate its 12th anniversary. Several religious, military and social figures attended the ceremony which counted an audience of over 450 persons. Distribution of certificates was held during the event. Fifteen certificates were issued to trainees who have attended an Educational Counseling Course, in addition to certificates distributed to 70 students who have successfully completed  100 hours of TOEFL exam preparation course.
 “Educational Counseling was something far from reach and LOST made it reachable. There was no chance in our deprived region to even know that such course exists; however, LOST made it available. I was just a teacher, now I feel I can be a counselor and an educator” said Alaa a teacher from Chmostar.

I learned the meaning of Peace

When he first took part in the Youth Academy of Peace, Mohamad felt worried because he had to work with people from different religions and sects. In his opinion, people are grouped according to their sectarian identities. He has the judgment of a divided society and he could not make any change alone. However, this conviction has changed after he joined the Academy for three months in Ein. He found in LOST a place to learn, share and exchange ideas with others. He realized later that sectarian difference is not a negative thing; on the contrary it could be a motive for creativity and innovation. He also shared his experience with others and built up his communication skills in a manner that he didn’t do before.

“In the Academy of Peace I learned how to communicate with others, I participated actively in workshops and debates about tolerance and building peace in society. I learned the meaning of peace and I felt that I really want to build it in my neighborhood. Most importantly, I found out that the more we work together the better we become.” The Academy is not only a place to make friends, but it’s a program to empower and engage youth in social and public life. Although it’s only a three month program, however, it offers a type of education and learning that is unique in the region.

“Youth are not protected in our society, they are easily infected by the diseases of sectarian divide, but our job here is to shelter them. In fact, we organize special workshops and debates about citizenship and civic participation, peace and tolerance in order to make youth more aware and confident of their existence and their vigorous role in society. We help them to become Lebanese active citizens away of sectarianism!” affirmed Ali Nazha, the Academy coordinator at Ein Branch.

The Youth Academy of Peace is a youth engagement program that LOST is continuously running every three months throughout the year. It comprises a set of civic workshops and a 32-hour social media and IT training, in addition to a number of activities that participants suggest and implement themselves. It makes a difference when hundreds of youth participants attend every year, they learn the meaning of peace and they can create it.

Summer Camps: More than Fun

  "I've never enjoyed summer time as this summer” said Assil Raad, an eight-year- girl in the kids’ summer camp that the Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) is organizing this year. Her mother said: "this camp is a good opportunity for my daughter to discover her abilities and talents. 

It is more than just fun and games; it is a real life experience for children of her age. It is a prospect in places where there are no many.”
On the 6th of July 2010 the" Summer Camp for Kids” was launched by LOST targeting groups of less fortunate children in Baalbeck-Hermel. One hundred and sixty nine kids are attending the daily camp in the four branches of LOST. The main activities of the camp are: teaching English and IT, trips, and talents shows, in addition to different recreational activities. It gives them the opportunity to learn English and participate in activities such as visiting the zoo, reading stories and watching movies. Also, it promotes their environmental awareness and amuses them in a process of learning which is unique in the region. These kids miss every entertaining activity in a region which lacks recreational facilities. The camps bring them more than happiness!

Computer Training

Team Work

Women's Empowerment through Educational Counseling

Educational Counseling workshop

  “Life has not given me the chance to finish school. Sometimes, I feel embarrassed if I cannot understand what my two little children want. After attending the educational counseling course at LOST, I really felt that I am a real mother, I learned how to react wisely, slowly and I can understand what they need. I am very happy to realize that my children are protected by my knowledge and experience in life” said Sawsan after accomplishing the new educational counseling course that was run at LOST this summer.

       “Educational Counseling is a step toward women empowerment” affirmed Omar Bayan the Director of the Educational Commission at LOST. “This course is a wonderful opportunity for women being mothers or teachers especially for those who live in hardship. It offers them the capacity to learn and practice new models and techniques of education that could be applied in school or at home” he added.

Educational Counseling workshop

       This course is divided into two parts: the first one is a set of workshops on the main theories of educational counseling and its importance in real life practices; the second part has many evaluation sessions concerning the different problems that teachers and mothers might face. Theoretical views and practical ways on how to be successful counselors are dealt with throughout this course.


      Educational Counseling gives trainees many ways to improve their roles as educators and counselors. This course was made to allow participants to promote their participation in society and to satisfy their kids' educational and psychological needs, even when social and economical situations are bad.