School-Based Prevention at the forefront to address, prevent and respond to youth struggles.
CDLL’s 17 year prevention program envisions schools as pillars of well-being; crucial in shaping resilient minds. This program is proving to be essential by empowering students, parents and teachers through awareness, mental health education, life skills, and resilience building activities.
Developed in collaboration with esteemed partners such as USJ & Hotel Dieu de France, has reached over 70 schools, touching the lives of more than 25,000 students and caregivers in the past 3 years.
An additional 800 teachers have benefited from our pioneering online mental health curriculum.
Read More About Our School Program
CDLL is collaborating with the Lebanese Army to reach out the military community with 80,000 soldiers.
We are placing awareness articles about substance abuse and addiction in the Army magazine الجيش issued bimonthly.
On the other hand, a segment of 3 minutes will be reserved in the soldier radio program برنامج الجندي where Mental Health will be discussed in large raising awareness on the importance of the individual’s wellbeing as well as all those around them.
The soldier program is broadcasted on 17 radio stations.
CDLL launched “Youth Cap” a new community center in Beirut that aims to offer integrated social services to children, adolescents, young adults, and caregivers. CDLL is the Mental Health Response Leading partner of Together LiBeirut, an emergency relief platform dedicated to a sustainable recovery of Beirut following the devastating explosion of its port on August 4.
Services:
- Mental health support
- Emergency relief operations
- Healthcare support
- Psychiatric and psychological care (including trauma relief and stress management)
- Drug addiction prevention and treatment
- Life skills, job readiness skills, and vocational trainings
- Safe and resourceful recreational activities
- Stay-in-school support
CDLL distributed health kits to 840 beneficiaries, including hygiene, first aid and baby kits.
10 of our volunteers were able to give a little hope to 230 families who suffered from Beirut blast.
This initiative is funded by Catholic Relief Services, CDLL being one of its 13 partners on the PEER emergency relief network and is aligned with Beirut’s recovery strategy of our partners Together LiBeirut.
With all the current circumstances Lebanon is going through, CDLL is insisting on going forward with its mission.
Mrs. Souraya Frem Baroud, President of Cénacle De La Lumière- CDLL and Dr. Elias Warrak, President of the University of Balamand signed on January 2020, an MOU to emphasize on their collaboration. This MOU aims at ensuring the necessary trainings to the university students and graduates to serve their community in a better way through their participation in awareness sessions and campaigns on the dangers of drugs and substance abuse.
On Wednesday April 23, 2020, the parliament of Lebanon approved the draft law 673 that legalizes Cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial use with promises of economic returns.
Since 2018, we have worked relentlessly with fellow professionals and NGOs, to raise the alarm on the health and social bill such law might generate in a country like Lebanon with rampant corruption, crumbling infrastructure and on the verge of collapse.
We are sharing with you our position document against the passing of this law that we presented to all decision makers.
English position statement
Arabic position statement
Act. Raise your voices. The law #673 can still be reconsidered.
Under the National Volunteer Service Program of the Ministry of Social Affairs, funded by the World Bank, CDLL launched “Together for a Better Community” project.
The project aimed to address the issue of drug awareness and concerns leading to health risky behaviors among youth in the region of “Amchit”. The project provided 50 beneficiaries with in-depth trainings on substance abuse sensitization.
45 beneficiaries organized as a result an outreach initiative to spread the information received among their community targeting different age groups (parents, youth and children) and diversifying the approaches to reach all their community members.
Addiction is touching our youth and ravaging our kids! We need to stop this madness!
Experts warn of a continuing escalation of drug use with an estimation of 23,000 drug addicts while only 2,000 can get treatment. Addiction is not only touching our youth but it is ravaging our kids! In Lebanon, it touches mainly young people aged 18 to 34 and unfortunately drug use is beginning as early as 9 years old. We need to STOP this MADNESS!
CDLL reactivates “BALA DRUGS – Judge Less, Learn More” to remind Lebanese and Arab communities that society will fail without the understanding of the drug problem and the importance to support every person using drugs.
The campaign invites every individual to commit to a drug free society and try to educate people that addictions can be treated, at least reduced if not eliminated when people JUDGE LESS and HELP MORE!
The campaign will also remind of www.baladrugs.com, the one-of-a-kind online substance abuse education service in Lebanon and the Arab region serving as a credible source of info and reliable advice.
Beirut, Lebanon January 12, 2017 Cénacle De La Lumière (CDLL) launched its national media campaign “Bala Drugs – Judge Less, Learn More”with a press conference on January 12, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel under the patronage of the Ministry of Social Affairs and the presence of the Minister Pierre Bou Issa. Also present was representatives of other partners in the campaign: Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Culture, Internal Security Forces and the American University of Beirut who is the official academic partner. Some quotes from the conference:
“I have been sober for 5 years and still people judge me for being an ex-addict,” recalled a former addict who underwent CDLL’s rehabilitation program.
“Addicts need to be treated and not punished, and the government needs to offer more capacity to institutions to treat thousands of addicts that do not have access to care” said Parliament Member, Atef Majdalani. “What we need is to face this danger with practical, concrete actions, starting with a national comprehensive plan to be the responsibility of the government and parliament. The main goal of political work is to build the human being […]. The addict was not born an addict, and our job is to make sure he does not die an addict […] said Minster Pierre Bou Assi.
To celebrate its 10 years anniversary, CDLL organized an unforgettable concert in partnership with 8eme art on December 1st at Concrete 1994. A heart-warming event sponsored by Pasta Reggia, with the support of Lumen Light, sound, Diadgeo, Bottlers Bottle, Goggi, Wrap n roll, and Frietten. Not to mention unmatched support of the volunteers who were being the planning of the event. CDLL chose to animate a night full of meaning, of respect and inspiration. Its title: « Gone », a tribute to all those who lost their lives to drugs, but also a celebration of life to the ones who made it out of the tunnel. And during this intense night, a poetic moment: the concert was paused, total obscurity, and the audience was encouraged to do a little donation in exchange for a light bulb that they lit like little stars that woke up, spreading out like a swarm of fireflies. The message behind it: There is always light, always hope, even in the midst of darkness. We thank each and every one of you who were present and helped make this night an unforgettable one.
