'Our school is pretty much walking distance from the epicentre of the blast, so you can only imagine the damage, but as I sat amongst the debris on Tuesday night, all I could think was how lucky we were to have closed up only hours before, and that there was nobody here. The sight was horrific enough without adding human injury and what would surely have been fatal, and watching the security camera footage was like watching a Hollywood war movie….... I think that I am still in shock and have not completely absorbed the severity of what has happened, yet I am seriously shaken as what we felt is just indescribable. '

Z is a 16 year old girl who lives with her family in Karantina, one of the most damaged areas in Beirut. She was at home with her family when the explosion occurred. Z was badly injured - distortion of the eye and face, broken nose, pieces of broken glass in her face. Her family are without work due the economic crisis and have no health insurance. She needs medical analysis, MRI, an operation and ongoing treatment.

Shortly after the devastating Beirut explosion, our friends at Montessori Centre International London contacted us asking how they could contribute to fixing the damage caused at Lemonts. We were very touched by their generous offer, however seeing as we were fortunate enough to be able to cover the costs of our rehabilitation, we suggested that their fundraising could instead go to a child who had been affected by the events of August 4th. After consulting with the NGO Dar Al Amal, we were directed towards a 16 year old girl ....I know these are tough times we are all going through, but any contribution, whether financially, or even just sharing the link on social media would be greatly appreciated. With enough donations, we have the potential to extend our support to even more children who have been affected.