20
SPRING/SUMMER 2020
The Challenge: Repairing the Homes of Akkar
A
t first, the villagers cried. Many were elderly or widowed. Assem ’87 and Ghaida Nawam stood awkwardly, trying hard not to stare at the abject poverty around them. No electricity, no running water. Several homes were sharing an outhouse. A flimsy curtain designated the shower area. There wasn’t even a proper kitchen to speak of. They were in Akkar – an area with the highest poverty rate in the country, amounting to 63.3% of its population. The region is historically neglected and registers the worst household conditions in Lebanon after Hermel. It is an area where
many houses remain unconnected to the electricity grid and where access to public water supplies remains limited. As she took in her bearings, Ghaida’s brain was already in motion. These Lebanese deserve to live in healthy, safe, and decent houses. They deserve to live with dignity. I know my team would be willing to help. So what if there is an economic crisis? This is the time to help. We must help. Assem knew better than to question his wife. For once Ghaida gets hold of an idea, she doesn’t let go. And more often than not, she ends up succeeding. He saw his wife, a mother of three, build her own business from scratch and expand her business. In fact, in a few short years, she managed not only to thrive in Lebanon but also to open an office in Hong Kong. True to her word, Ghaida immediately consulted her five-member team. Only a few months ago, she and this very team were busy creating and promoting gift ideas for their company, Siraj Art Gifts and Premiums. But when the economic crisis hit earlier in the year and businesses began to lay off employees, Ghaida couldn’t fathom the very thought. No layoffs and no wage cuts. She had a good relationship with her team. They were family. And then it came to her. A little idea at first. A kind of inner yearning that she’s had for a long time but somehow just never did anything about it. Business had been good in the past few years. Very good actually, until now. And so
