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The Camps

Every summer young German and European Maltese go to Lebanon. Together with young Lebanese they take care of about 180 disabled or sick people for two months.

The Center al Fahdi, an accessible house in the mountains near Beirut, is where the camps take place. Once part of the Greek-Catholic Monastery "Monastère de la Résurrection", 2006 the Center was sold to the Lebanese Association of the Order of Malta.

The guests come from four different homes in Lebanon. The time in the mountains is meant to be their holiday. During six camps, consisting of six days, every disabled guest is taken care by one person for that time. The focus is on the capabilities and preferences of each individual guest. Accordingly, each day can be very different: Sometimes it will mean running around like crazy or it means sitting lazily in the sun or simply marveling at having found a quiet place just for one self. Group activities like simple games, the evening singing circle and trips to the seaside or to the tavern are part of the daily program as well.

One participant said: "... It is the one-on-one care, which makes the camps special. What we can do for our guests seems, compared to their fate, to be very little. But I am always amazed at how our devotion is embraced. We experience how a restless, troubled child can find peace and quiet. How a sealed heart opens up to friendship. By now most of our guests know that the summer means holidays with the Maltese. The whole year round they look forward to it ... "

A priest and a doctor accompany each team. They are essential, as the service in the camps is both physically and mentally challenging.


Elisalex Clary


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