IBBY-Yamada 2024: Lebanon

IBBY-Yamada 2024: Lebanon
Library for Refugees

Against the backdrop of Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis and its status as the country with the highest refugee population per capita, this project sought to support undocumented refugee children, most of which are excluded from formal education, through the creation of a dedicated library at the Tahaddi Educational Center in Beirut and the training of teachers in bibliotherapy and reading promotion.

In collaboration with Tahaddi, a Lebanese NGO offering holistic services in health, education, and psychosocial care to marginalized communities, LBBY equipped the educational centre’s new library with around 300 high-quality Arabic books, furniture, and supplies. The selection of books focused on emotional literacy, environmental themes, trauma, and levelled readers suited to the centre’s diverse learners.

A five-day training workshop followed the library’s setup, introducing educators to bibliotherapy techniques and library use as tools to build emotional resilience, critical thinking, and communication skills among children affected by conflict and displacement. The workshop was supported by Assabil, a Lebanese organization specializing in library development, and included guidance on documentation and library management.

The project was completed in just over two months, encompassing library installation, book selection and acquisition, and educator training. It was made possible through support from the IBBY-Yamada Fund, Book Aid International, and Assabil.

This initiative reflects LBBY’s ongoing commitment to using books as instruments of healing and education, empowering children to engage with literature meaningfully despite the challenges they face.