"I'm delighted the book is finally published," 13-year-old writer Melissa said. "Not only did I learn to develop my writing skills, I also learned a lot on the personal level."
The book is also the end product of a 10-week creative writing workshop organized by World Vision.
"The workshop aims to empower and equip children by allowing them to relate stories from their own experiences and to voice their hopes," World Vision's Patricio Cuevas- Parra told a news conference at Le Meridien Commodore Hotel in Hamra.
A total of 32 children aged 9 to 17 attended the weekly writing classes administered by Arabic teacher Mario Estephano and social worker Assala al-Jawhari. "An Arabic teacher and a social worker taught the kids the writing skills they needed to put their ideas on paper," Cuevas-Parra said.
Armed with these newly learned writing tools, Melissa based her fiction on Israel's summer 2006 war on Lebanon. Nawal, 17, recounted a survival story from the recent Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. Sixteen-year-old Samantha, meanwhile, denounced violence against women in a moving and cunning novella.
Elio, 11, provided a beautiful description of his neighborhood Burj Hammoud, eastern Beirut. However, Elio denounced the lack of playing spaces in his neighborhood.
The summer 2006 war, racial discrimination and child labor are among the recurrent themes of the book, and the writings are spontaneous and expressive.
The volume is illustrated with pictures taken by the same children who contributed to the book. As part of the writing workshop, a photography instructor taught the children the technical and creative aspects of taking photos.
According to Cuevas-Parra, the book will not be available in bookstores in the near future, but will rather be distributed to children rights NGOs and associations, as well as schools.
"Although the whole experience is thrilling," Estephano told The Daily Star, "Teaching writing skills and having to deal with kids from different backgrounds is not an easy thing to do."
"I had the feeling that the project will not reach its end but now that the book is published I'm glad all our efforts paid off," he added.
The participating children hail from different parts of Lebanon, including the Beirut's northern suburb of Nabaa, the southern Lebanon villages of Marjayoun, Khyam, and Ibl al-Saqi, the Burj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, the southern coastal city of Sidon and the Bekaa Valley.
"I learned to appreciate writing, improve my grammar skills and think about various issues," 12-year-old Aline said as she signed her book for dozens of parents and friends who showed up for the event.
