Ghinwa Bou Antoun
I am ghinwa bou antoun aged 25. At the age of seven, I was taken under the wing of the Saint Charbel Center Marie Abel Foundation, Sisters of the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, for my school studies as well as my two sisters Jana and Marwa.
Today I am proud and grateful to this Center which educated me and allowed me to be what I am now, because I have just completed my studies as a chartered accountant at the Lebanese University and have a job in the structure where I carried out my internship.
During this period of confinement as everything is closed including my fixed job, I went to the center to help the team in addition to the education of the children during this difficult period.
When I was a child I felt safe and at peace at the center and the opportunity to come back today reminds me of that memory. Even today I see and comprehend in a very positive light the most difficult of times in the past.
For me, helping the Center continue its mission is to give a promising future to the children who are currently living in distress in Lebanon.
Lara Yassine
Hello. My name is Lara Yassine. I am 21 years old and a midwife student (second year).
I lived 9 years in Mar Charbel Center. It was the best 9 years because they taught me things that I won’t ever forget:
1 – To be kind with others no matter what.
2 – The power of love. A good human being cannot be defined without love. If you can’t love others, you can’t be a good person. Love makes you great. If you possess the power to love others, you are not an ordinary person.
3 – The power of serving others which led me to study to be a midwife. If you are a good human being, you feel the need to serve others. Those who serve the poor are truly rich in humanity.
4 – The power of accepting. Good human beings are those who are always ready to accept their mistakes. As a human being, you are bound to make mistakes; what makes you ugly is not accepting your mistakes. Once you start accepting your mistakes, you start being more beautiful, more perfect and more useful to society.
5 – Honesty.
6 – Character. A good human being cannot exist without a sound character. Good character is the foundation of all greatness in life. If you have good qualities but not a good character, you might be condemned and disrespected, whereas if you have no real qualities but a very good character, you will be respected and loved.
7 – The power of forgiving
8 – To smile.
9 – To be grateful. Be grateful for whatever you have been given by God. Be grateful to everyone, even to those who laugh at you, who hate you and who are jealous of your growth. Being grateful will make you great.
10 – Good behavior. Always behave politely. Talk politely. Your language and behavior are important to make you a loveable person.
These ten qualities are really more than enough to make anyone a very, very good human being and I am thankful for learning all that because it made me who I am. No words can explain how grateful I am for being part of this Center.