Lebanon: Dar El Awlad Boys' Home

LEBANON HOME

LOCATION

Lebanon is one of the world’s smallest countries, and is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Syria, and Israel.

The ‘Dar El Awlad’ Children’s Home is situated on a mountain ridge overlooking the capital city, Beirut, and Dar El Awlad School is located on the same campus.

BACKGROUND

Dar El Awlad was opened in 1948 in Beirut by a missionary who was concerned about the needs of children who were living on the streets in the city. In 1950 the ministry became a part of Kids Alive International, and in 1955 the Home was moved to its current location, the small town of Mansourieh, on the hills overlooking the city. Over the past half-century the Home has had an excellent track-record of meeting the needs of children-at-risk. In 2008 the Home is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary.

FACILITIES
We provide a home for up to 40 boys, aged between three and twenty years. Each child lives in one of five family apartments, and is cared for by a ‘houseparent’. Each apartment has its own bedrooms, sitting room, bathroom, and kitchen. The Home also has a central kitchen, chapel, and multi-purpose hall, as well as outdoor play facilities. Our older boys, aged 16-plus years, live in another apartment on the campus called the ‘Bell House’. Also on the Dar El Awlad campus are a Bakery, Technology Workshops, Elementary School, and a Care Center Program for pre-school children.

PROGRAMS

The boys in our care have been orphaned or are from very poor single-parent families who are unable to care for them. We provide them with food, clothing, medical care and education. Although Dar El Awlad is a Christian Children’s Home, we accept boys from Christian, Muslim, and Druze backgrounds. All of our staff are practicing Christians, however, and one of our aims is to teach the children the Christian faith. Each family group meets daily to pray together, and on Sundays all of the children attend different church services and Sunday School programmes in Beirut.

The recreational facilities at the Home include two playgrounds, where football and basketball are the most popular sports! One of our missionaries oversees the social programme for the children. We encourage children to develop other hobbies as well as sport, including reading, drawing, music, and gardening. In the summer months, swimming and camping are popular activities!

FUTURE
We wish to continue improving standards or care to the children in our residential program, and further develop our training program for our caregivers. We would like to appoint a missionary as a Substitute House Parent.