Joyce (37 years old) works in an insurance company, as a production manager. On the day of the “uprising” she opened an account on Twitter and wrote a status
concerning political issues, the pain of the people, and the ugly topics she was seeing and experiencing. “Thanks God; after a while, people were reacting to me positively. I then opened
“Kaffak‐Bi‐Kaffi” is a page that takes care of the needs of people. I try to help those who need medications and treatments such as chemotherapies or operations.
We are helping a lot of people and working on standing with them and supporting them in these hard times.”
The procedure starts by writing a tweet about a certain need, along with supporting papers such as medical reports or prescriptions. She contacts hospitals, when necessary, institutions to help with this specific issue in order to help the person in need whether financially or other.
“When I
started, I was completely alone doing all the work, from the 1st contact till
the end. Now I am asking the help of associations; they help by providing food
and in‐kind aids, and sometimes medications.”
“I would like to thank all the expatriates living outside Lebanon and feeling sorry for the people in Lebanon and trying their best to help at least by sending donations. They come from all over the world, Europe (France, Switzerland), America, Arab countries, and many other places around the world.”
“The Beirut Blast which is the 3rd biggest explosion in the whole world, made cry all the people outside Lebanon, while here in Lebanon people are still defending their political leaders and harassing each other. For me, they are all alike, and all are corrupted. “I myself and the initiative “Kaffak‐Bi‐Kaffi” helped in many repairing of demolished houses and shops by directly receiving financial aid from donors.
“You might not believe me but there are people who cannot even buy bread. That’s why I ask whoever can help even in very small amounts or just 1000 Liras; this thousand can help buy a pill for someone in pain or a piece of bread for someone hungry.”
She tries always to double-check the cases to make sure the donations are always going to where it is most needed.
“When I started, I used to receive 1 or 2 cases per week; then it became 2 cases per day, then more than 10 cases.” The pain of the people tells me it’s the end of the world. The pain in Lebanon is that big and that much unbearable.
“You might not believe me but there are people who cannot even buy bread. That’s why I ask whoever can help even in very small amounts or just 1000 Liras; this thousand can help buy a pill for someone in pain or a piece of bread for someone hungry.”
She tries always to double-check the cases to make sure the donations are always going to where it is most needed. “When I started, I used to receive 1 or 2 cases per week; then it became 2 cases per day, then more than 10 cases.” The pain of the people tells me it’s the end of the world. The pain in Lebanon is that big and that much unbearable.
We are now covering more than 500 Lebanese families, distributed in all of Lebanon, and they are needy. That’s all we need to know about them. I never ask them what is their religion, what is their political dependency, nor which leader they follow.
Most cases were house rent, foodstuff, medications, and milk for babies, especially since now all baby’s milk is missing in the markets or maybe monopolized by some merchants.
Sometimes I helped some people financially, as in the case of a taxi driver who was barely making 10 or 20 thousand liras per day which did not suffice for him to buy food for his
family.
People now are not able to buy food anymore. Everything is expensive and nonexistent. Where are they responsible? No one cares; no one makes the right thing; they only care for the chair. I feel so sorry when I post a tweet concerning an operation for a 2-year-old baby and some of the media professionals ignore it. This is a thing that hurts me a lot when I am lately compelled to refuse some cases or some families, not because I don’t want to, but because I have no more room
for more families.
The Lebanese system is a corrupted system; Lebanese people are not even asking for their rights; they only care for the leader. This is what lead us here. We cannot go to the hospital or get our food if not through the leader.
I see people who are so underprivileged, needy, and penniless. They have no food in their homes, and if you find a piece of bread in their refrigerator, it is crusty. People are giving their children only water sugar and bread. They got to this extent.
