INTERVIEW MOTHER AGNES OF THE CROSS
ON THE SON OF MAN ASSOCIATION
« The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Lebanon, Moroccan Najat Rushdi, said that Lebanon is already at the beginning of a “serious collapse,” noting that her organization is focusing on “avoiding the complete collapse of basic services »
Mother Agnes Mariam of the Cross, Foundress and Superior of the Greek-Catholic monastery of St .James the Mutilated in Syria (maryakub.net), has founded the Son of Man Association in August 2019. This Association aims to relieve the suffering of the Lebanese who are in need of everything due to the terrible economic situation today and the war. Let’s listen to what Mother Agnes Mariam has to say about the Association.
Mohter Agnes-Mariam:
Lebanon is plunging into chaos. On August 4, 2021, a devastating explosion at the Beirut port destroyed a third of the capital. This tragedy compounded an already unstable situation, following the revolution that began on October 17, 2019. The uprising led to the near-collapse of Lebanese banks and the rapid devaluation of the Lebanese pound. Adding to this crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic crippled the country, and the Lebanese government publicly admitted it could no longer pay its debts, including interest owed to the World Bank. These events have accelerated the impoverishment of the population, leaving thousands unemployed. On top of everything, we are now facing an unprecedented assault, with countless deaths, injuries, and refugees caused by the Israeli invasion.
What motivates you to help the Lebanese ?
Mother Agnes-Mariam:
Our motivation comes from our love for our homeland Lebanon. But our deepest motivation is the love of Christ that constrains us (2 Co 5,14) to help those in need (cf. Mt 25, 35).
The Son of Man Association seeks to help the most in need in Lebanon : the victims of the war, the unemployed and the poor. Lebanon is in a state of bankruptcy, so people are in need of everything. We need to create jobs, and thus launch development projects (agricultural, small businesses).
What are the concrete projects you are working on ?
We started our strategy in 2019 by launching food projects to provide the Lebanese with the minimum to survive :
Providing urgent aid to the victims of the war in Lebanon: food, clothes, blankets, medicine, …
Monthly distribution of food rations that can provide each family with what is necessary to survive. Each ration costs 25 EURO. The more we give the better because everyone is in need.
Providing daily bread to the poorest. A mobile bread oven bakes bread to nearly 2000 families a day. To keep this project running we buy flour and other ingredients, we pay the salaries of the workers, the baker, as well as the costs for transportation and packaging.
Helping families who want to rehabilitate their agricultural lands. A family that owns 10 000 m2 needs 3000 EURO to cover the first expenses. Once they kickstart they are able to sell their crops and become self-sufficient.
Opening of pig and cattle farms to give young people work. We use a part of these earnings to be able to help more people in need
Health sector
The Son of Man association has two medical centers inside Beirut where medical teams receive patients daily for free diagnostic and laboratory tests. These include X-rays, ultrasounds, blood and urine tests, … We provide medicine free of charge. We need financial aid to keep these centers up and running.
The Son of Man Association relies on the help of volunteers. Anyone who wants to help Lebanon (from Lebanon or from outside the country), animated by the charity of Christ, are most welcome to join us so that we can help more people every day !
Lebanon is important, help us to preserve it ! In the words of pope John Paul II:
“Lebanon is more than a country — it is a message of freedom and an example of pluralism for East and West.”
