Beit el Nour (House of Light and Hope)
Where are they?
What do they do?
Who benefits? |
Beirut, Lebanon
Rehabilitation of boys and girls and vocational training .
Over 500 young people (aged 6-18, but most are 12-17) from all religions. Mainly Lebanese and many from broken homes. |
More Infomation:
Founded: 1986
Beginnings:
One night in 1984, a charismatic, well-known Lebanese monk called Brother Nour (Nour means ‘light’ in Arabic) knocked on Robert Caracache’s door, where he shared his concern for broken youth and outcasts. He urged Dr Caracache – who was already working as a psychotherapist with delinquent boys and prisoners – to join him, telling him about his vision for a home for female victims of violence and abuse.
After much prayer and fasting, in 1986 they founded the first home in Zeghrine, 25km from Beirut in the mountains. The inauguration ceremony and mass were celebrated in the attic of the ‘House of Light and Hope’ in March 1986 by Archbishop Habib Constatine Bacha.
A few months after the inauguration in 1986 militiamen overran the whole area and the team had to flee though the valley leaving everything behind except the legacy and vision of Brother Nour.
However, they relocated to Beirut and teamed up with Dar El Amal (‘House of Hope’), which was run by Franciscan monks and worked with girls in prostitution, and the scope of the work was broadened to include boys too.
Activities:
They run five programmes:
- Rehabilitation of Delinquent Boys at Fanar Centre (education and vocational training).
- Prevention of Juvenile Female Delinquency at Nabaa Centre (for 140 girls).
- Professional Rehabilitation of Girls and Young Women in Beirut Central Prison of Baabda and Tripoli (for 270 girls).
- Homeless Boys and Social Cases at St Ephrem Home for Children (for 20 boys).
- Rehabilitation for girls in moral danger (truancy, prostitution, drugs, victims of sexual abuse) at Sin El Fill Centre (for 35 girls).
There are 8 main areas of work:
- Follow-up of cases through welfare and preventative work.
- Re-education and professional rehabilitation of boys and girls in trouble with the law.
- Shelter for boys and girls in moral danger (including truancy, prostitution and drugs).
- Summer camps for prevention and re-education.
- Psychological and moral support and vocational training for under-age girls and young women in Baabda and Tripoli prisons (working with Dar El Amal) – training in hairdressing, make-up, dress-making etc.
- Medical assistance.
- Abolition of illiteracy and education.
- Rehabilitation and re-education of delinquent boys.
|
