In a context marked by social difficulties and constant population displacement, the initiative sought to reaffirm a fundamental conviction: beyond religious affiliations, the dignity of the human person represents the primary common ground.
To celebrate one of the most important festivals in the Muslim tradition, students from the Hospitality and Catering Department of Don Bosco Technique prepared a festive lunch for the displaced families staying at the centre. The meal was planned, cooked and served thanks to the efforts of numerous young people, educators and Salesian volunteers.
“We wanted to offer much more than just a meal: to share closeness, friendship and a message of hope,” explained the organisers.
The event took place in the presence of Fr Simon Zakarian, Superior of the Salesian Province of the Middle East (MOR), who was visiting Lebanon, together with his Salesian confreres, Salesian Cooperators, young people from the Don Bosco Oratory and numerous members of the educational community.
For several months now, the Salesian community has been accompanying and supporting refugee families hosted at El-Houssoun. This presence is part of a broader mission of solidarity, education and human development inspired by the charism of Don Bosco.
Particularly significant was the opportunity to bring together people from different religious traditions around the same table, in an atmosphere of mutual respect, joy and gratitude. The children, the heart of the Salesian mission, also took part in recreational and educational activities led by the young people of the oratory.
Through this initiative, the Salesian Family wishes to bear witness to the fact that in Lebanon, coexistence is not merely an ideal, but a reality that is built day by day through concrete gestures of welcome, solidarity and fraternity.
On the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the Salesians wished to remind everyone that serving others, welcoming those in need and sharing their joys and hopes constitute a universal language capable of uniting hearts and strengthening the human and social fabric of the country.
A shared lunch, a simple gesture yet one of profound significance: fraternity is stronger than divisions, and hope continues to be born whenever the human person is placed at the centre.
