This brainstorming drawing presents the professions in Al Mina, which is known by the ‘city of waves and horizon”.
I have chosen the wave shape to show the most and least professions in Al Mina. These professions are:
Yellow: taxi drivers
Pink: coffee sellers
Purple: peddlers
Orange: fisher men
Red: Deccan (grocery shoppers)
Magenta: Farran (bakers)
Green: welders
Blue: freelancers
These fields were the most affected professions during the lockdown.
I’m sure you are wondering why I chose to talk about this topic!
Actually, it was on my mind all this time. Observing from my window every morning how everything has stopped in a clap! All this made me search for answers on how I would act if I was in their place. Of course, no one can stop this pandemic virus.
I’ve learned to share my thoughts with my family. Usually, we discuss our business issues together, and we take into consideration every single step we will make.
First, we cannot forget there was an immense revolution in Lebanon before Corona. Of course, Tripoli was at the forefront, until now. Tripoli is the second-largest city in the country and the capital of the northern governorate. It is located on the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Al-Mina is located on the borders of Tripoli. It is one of Lebanon's most demographically diverse cities, with many different denominations living together. We are not capable of characterizing how much Al-Mina is rich with its diverse population. Al-Mina is mainly a service-oriented city; much like most of Lebanon. The services sector is the main source of economic income in the city and employs the highest number of people. Restaurants and cafes are abundant along the city streets, serving tourists and locals alike, who frequent the "Corniche" during afternoons and weekends. The second-most important sector of the city's economy is the fishing industry. As a consequence to the exposure of the city to the sea, the inhabitants have been fishermen and seamen by trade for centuries.
My first attempt was to know how many difficulties were faced by these families living in these conditions. It is so hard to believe how many families were dying of hunger before lockdown.
I actually have seen many donations for food and clothes from different communities. One of them was the DAFA campaign which came to help the north for the first time. It was a pleasure for me to volunteer with my colleague in Al-Mina and help people in getting through these rough times.
Throughout these times, I had many connections with different types of people. For me, connections are the best thing a person should have. It is the power in life that helps you in your ups and downs. The best appreciation you can get is when you hear someone whispering your name in a small group.
All you want is being able to help without any return!
Now, being locked down for around 3 months is actually too much for me to handle, figuring out how life could take you from riches to rags. I’ve never experienced these hard times.
The beginning of the lockdown was hard but not that much, and being unemployed was not a big problem for me since I’m already staying at home. I can manage to work on projects from home, drawing, painting, working out, playing cards, watching series, reading articles, watching the news, organizing my stuff, etc.
All these things and days have passed smoothly for me and I didn’t feel bad.
But what if I was in their place, the worker or the husband? All these professions were critically impacted lately, and have been closed for too many days. Many people have lost their jobs, and many were asking themselves day by day, second by second how to secure a living for my family?!
The absence of the state was definitely one of the reasons that no one could stay at home and it made them fight for their family and expose themselves to risk. I’m sorry but this is Lebanon!! Of course we should not always blame the government only, but also ourselves, our parents and grandparents who were the reason why we faced all these pitfalls. And now we are at the biggest BOOM!
I’m going to reorganize all the damaged sectors of professions from the lowest to the highest after lockdown:
Taxi drivers
Fishermen
Freelancers
Coffee sellers
Peddlers
Deccan (grocery shoppers)
Farran (bakers)
Welders
Despite all the crises that the country went through and is still going through, the main factor for living, which is money, seems to be still missing! This time it’s the beginning of the real revolution, and nothing can stop us.
Maya Chalabi, 25, interior designer, Lebanese French living in Al Mina North Lebanon