Every summer, we take our Oshana makers on their annual holiday – a day of catharsis at a beautiful villa in the mountains outside Beirut. This is a moment to breathe fresh air, to talk, to sew and to dance; for mothers to watch their children play under unbroken skies, away from the chaos, fear and danger of the refugees camps where most live.
In 1948, following the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians that took place during the creation of the state of Israel, more than 700,000 people were exiled. Many ended up in Lebanon. The UN leased a piece of land from its government, on which Shatila camp was built. The size of the land hasn’t changed in the nearly 80 years since, but the number of inhabitants – from Palestine and since 2011 also from Syria - has grown substantially, with living conditions unsafe, unsanitary, cramped and frightening.
Our summer holiday takes our women and their children briefly to a place where they can just be; a day of relaxation, of good food, of music; of making memories.
