In July 2006, the 34-day war with Israel caused enormous damage especially to southern Lebanon. Many villages were destroyed and are still under reconstruction.

During the war, our university campus in Beirut was opened to offer shelter to war refugees from the south, and our association Offre Joie offered food rations and any sort of assistance. The war stopped on August 14, and the next day many of the refugees began the journey back to their villages. We followed them to see how we could help.

One of the villages we chose was Qaouzah, a small Christian village surrounded by Shi'ite villages: we felt it necessary to encourage these Christians to remain and continue the style of life typical of Lebanon, a life of peaceful co-existence and collaboration between Christians and Muslims.

The villagers used to live on the culture of tobacco and olives, as well as on the products of their herds. The harvests have been destroyed and many of the fields are still unapproachable because of the cluster-bombs and mines left by the Israelis. The herds have been decimated. The houses and schools destroyed.

One of the schools has already been repaired and also offers classes to pupils from the neighbouring villages. But much remains to be done and unfortunately official help is very slow in coming. All the help we offer depends on the generosity of our benefactors and we are badly in need of funds. If we fail to help them rebuild their houses, schools, clinics, especially now that winter is approaching and snow will soon be covering the fields and the ground, they will once more flee to the city. In his new encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI speaks of hope.

Our association was founded in 1985, during the 15-year Lebanese civil war as an apolitical, non-confessional entity, aiming to bring young people of Lebanon's various religions together and imbue them with a sense of citizenship and ownership of their country's future. Our members are a sign of hope and an affirmation that people of different religions can live and work together for a better world and a more just society.

Any offerings for our reconstruction work can be sent to myself as mission procurator, Loyola House, 78, Marquis Scicluna Street, Naxxar.