Antoine-Tardy-faces-bassel
“In my village, back in Syria, there are only two of us who have reached university. In my family, I am the only one. In my community here in Lebanon, I am the only one who has managed to study, to find jobs. People who were very close to me, that I considered my friends, did not take it well. Some of them turned their back on me, others became hostile, even stole money from me. This makes me sad but has also given me more motivation to be different, to keep studying and to succeed. Things are getting increasingly difficult here in Lebanon for our community. Within the refugee community, there is anger, jealousy, even hatred. People envy one another. So my message is: be kind to one another and keep a pure heart, no matter what.” Bassel, 29 years old, from Hama, Syria; Masters student in Arabic Literature at Lebanese University.