A humanitarian initiative was undertaken by an elderly Lebanese woman to educate four Syrian girls who were deprived by circumstances from attending school, and fate led them to live just a few steps away from Georgesit Maalouf's home in Mount Lebanon, northeast of the capital, Beirut. Ninety-year-old Georgesit Maalouf turned her home's courtyard in the mountainous town of "Batghrine" into a daily classroom, spending about two hours teaching the girls.
"They have been my neighbors for four and a half years, and their home is just a few meters away from mine," said Georgesit Maalouf, a mother, grandmother, and teacher, in a statement to "Sky News Arabia." She added, "I was saddened that they were not continuing their education, and would grow up to be illiterate, so I suggested to their mother the idea of teaching them two years ago, and the mother welcomed it. The idea started with a paper and a pen; I initially had no books, so I borrowed my grandchildren's books and began teaching the girls in my old-fashioned way, giving them lessons in reading, writing, and grammar in Arabic, as well as in French and mathematics."
Georgesit noted, "What makes me happy today is that the girls, aged between 9 and 11, can read in Arabic, solve math problems, and can even read in French. My joy will be even greater when they are able to benefit from what I have taught them over the years." She explained that the family came to Lebanon a few years ago and had been promised that their children would be enrolled in school, but that did not happen due to the excuse of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the fact that some UN schools had not yet opened.
Maalouf affirmed that "the Syrian girls have given my life a different flavor; they call me 'Teta' (grandmother) and they fully appreciate what I do for them. I hope that human happiness prevails for everyone, and then people can live in happiness." When asked about the secret to her mental vitality, she laughed and said, "Perhaps because I do not use technology or smartphones, nor do I eat canned foods."
