NDU graduates from the Ramez G. Chagoury Faculty of Architecture, Arts, and Design (FAAD) volunteered in the “Back Home” campaign after the Beirut explosion, organized and funded by the Lions Clubs International, District 351 (Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine).. Around twenty alumni and students came together to restore their country and rebuild their cities and neighborhoods.
NDU alumni came out in full force to help the Lebanese people affirming their belief in education, personal responsibility, and a unified Lebanon. The team who assessed the damages were NDU FAAD graduates who combined their architectural expertise and exemplary design skills to repair the damaged houses. During this campaign, our alumni covered the areas of Achrafieh, Rmeil, Medawar, Gemmayzeh, Mar Mkhael, and recently expanded to cover Sin el Fil and Jdeideh with a clear goal of restoring 3,000 homes, including household doors and windows in the damaged regions.
“The volunteer work performed by our graduates is a true source of pride, and their enthusiasm and professionalism are being praised by both their teammates and the organizers,” said Dr. Hani Zgheib, Assistant Professor in FAAD. “It has been a great opportunity to participate in a positive action during these hard times. The community outreach is an important part of the architect’s education and profession, and this experience has offered a great field work and exposure.”
“Lions provided us with an opportunity to rebuild our Beirut, fix the damages that this blast caused, and help people as much as possible! It was a fruitful experience with a great teamwork!” said Yasmina Merheb (BA’20).
Jihane Kabbara (BA’20) stated, “Help to feel grateful continuously, give to draw a smile on everyone’s face; we are all in this together. “Moreover, Samir Abou Shakra (BA’20) pointed out, “Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but Lions provided us with the chance to have this wonderful experience. We learned a lot and it was joyful.”
From his side, Simon Amine (BA’20) explained, “Lions provided for us a platform to help our people and our city. But most importantly, a healthy and motivating environment for us to be able to do so.”
NDU will continue to meet the urgent needs of Lebanon and we are very proud of our students and alumni for their active participation. Here are the full lists of our NDUers who participated in the campaign:
Architecture Graduates
Gabriella Abi Antoun (BA’19)
Samir Abou Shakra (BA’20)
Simon Amine (BA’20)
Carla Aridi (BA’20)
Victor Dagher (BA’20)
Jihane Kabbara (BA’20)
Perla Moukarzel (BA’19)
Yasmina Merheb (BA’20)
Elio Al Tannoury (BA’16)
Rita Zaarour (BA’19)
Charbel Zgheib (BA’20)
Interior Design Graduates
Beatrice Azzi (BA’18)
Charbel Hachem (BA’20)
Alaa Kontar (BA’20)
Christian Massabni (BA’18)
Ryan Obeid
Sana Rizk (BA’20)
Wassim Rouphael (BA’20)
Gaelle Zaghloul (BA’20)